Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Analysis paralysis and my current plan...

There is A LOT of info here. I can get lost in it for hours! Here is my situation and my plan. I appreciate the patience and advice I've been given here when I've asked. I figure it would be wise to lay this out here before I proceed, you guys always bring up something I didn't consider! Over the last couple years I've done three ponds...

Pond number one...

Is a small 1/10th acre, 15' deep hole. It has a couple rainbow (now 17-18 inches) in it from two years ago and about 20 brook trout left of the 35 or so I put in this spring. GBH started taking some but that stopped once I strung some 4 lb. test Power Pro braided line tight across it in several places, about 8-10 feet over the pond from the trees on either side. Found handfuls of heron feathers a couple times and haven't seen one near the pond since. I wasn't sure the brookies could make it here. The water got as warm as 68 degrees this year. They are doing great. Absolutely gorgeous currently, still sporting their fall color. I built a deck over part of this pond. We sit and feed them and enjoy watching them- no fishing here. I'll probably add another half dozen rainbow and another dozen brookies next spring.

Pond number two...
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This one I'd like your opinions with on my plan. This one is about 1/2 acre, soon getting pushed out to 2/3 acre. It started three years ago as a 10' x 15' test hole. Then went to about 1/4 acre and got some rainbows. This past summer, I expanded it to its current 1/2 acre size ( the ground is solid clay, very easy to play with) I've left about 10 rainbows in it to carry over. It has a pretty decent FHM population and I added some golden shiners and 120 or so crawfish as well. I will supplement with Aquamax 500. I've decided this will be primarily a kids fishing pond with culling as needed for an occasional fish fry. I'm planning on putting in 150 rainbow next spring. I'd also like bluegill, pumpkinseeds and LMB. I plan to add these this winter. I'm thinking 150 bluegill, 50 pumpkinseed, and about 15 9-12" LMB and 15-20 7" long golden shiners. The panfish will be adults. Let them spawn and start populating the pond. Let the LMB and rainbows trim the panfish yoy . I know I'll be so busy here with all the other projects going on that intensely managing the ponds probably won't happen for some time. I'll feed them daily, fish with the kids when they come out, and start taking fish out once that seems like the thing to do. This pond is about 18' deep.


Pond number three...

Is currently about 1/4 acre, being expanded to about 1/2 acre. Currently full of FHM but that's it for fish. I'm not sure what I want in here eventually yet. I will probably trap FHM from here and add them to pond # 2 ...until I decide how to screw it up ( AKA as stocking it)

So... In regards to pond number two... Is this a decent plan? Is stocking adult panfish and allowing them to populate the pond an acceptable way to get things rolling?

From September, 15.5 rainbow, was 11" when stocked in April...
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Way out of my area and expertise so will offer no suggestions, but just want to say "what beautiful ponds!".

Pond number 1 must have a steep drop that or the size in the picture is deceiving, to reach 15' in that tight of an area.

Why are you pushing pond number 2 out to a larger size and only gaining another .16 surface acres? Just out of curiosity if the dam and everything else is holding well, I assume dam by the look of the treeline in the far end of the picture. Each time you disturb it you could get a new leak, also time and money spent. It seems in my very limited experience the larger the ponds the larger the overall budget. All expenses grow as the pond does; stocking, treatments, maintenance, time.

Just my two cents.

I also am new to the pond game so I am interested to see what the seasoned veterans say about this topic.

Thank you!

I'm not too worried about leaks. The whole area is good clay. I have equipment coming anyway for another project so doing this might set me back another $500. If I could... I'd dig a lake. However, money and the lay of the land make that not an option. Twenty percent or so more pond, for about $500... Makes sense to me, so I'm going for it. We're not going to be working the dam, except adding material to the backside from the excavation. This was the footprint I wanted when I took it out to 1/2 an acre but ran out of time. My home someday will be uphill from this, looking over it. The expanded footprint will create a spectacular view. And... Besides all that... I just feel like it!