My new pond just starting to fill. About 7 ft deep in the deep end. All clay and very muddy. Do I take a water sample from the bank or get water from farther out in the pond? Do I need to let the Mud settle in the test jar first? What are the main things I need to test for and what range is suitable to raise blue gill and lmb. I will be stocking cnb and blue gill this spring along with fhm.

I wouldn't worry about testing the water until the pond is full or nearly full unless you want to fertilize and create a plankton bloom. It will be difficult to grow a bloom if or whenever the water is muddy. Muddy water with high turbidity does not allow light penetration thus micro planktonic algae will not and can not grow very well due to lack of light for photosynthesis. The best thing regarding water testing you could do now is do a turbidity jar test to see if the silt-sediment will settle naturally in a large jar. Collect some pond water in a large jar (quart or better gallon) and let it sit for 2-4 days. If it does not settle to be clear water then make plans for an alum, lime, or gypsum treatment whenever the pond is full and the watershed has vegetation to minimize muddy runoff.