Hi All,

I have a 2 acre pond, in central Alabama (Calera) which was not dug with Bass in mind, so it's very shallow over about 1/2 the area with all the typical problems with shallow water, espectially pondweed. Deeper areas are approx. 12-14 ft. About 1/3 of the pond is 4 ft deep or less. Around the edges, it's shallow - under 3' from the bank to out about 10 feet from the bank. Right now, it's covered at least 40% with weeds which is making fishing and overall enjoyment very hard. I have good populations of Bass and Bluegill now.

Because it's so shallow, fertilizing has never resulted in a good algae bloom. The weeds always get a headstart and the fertilizer just makes it worse. I put in 30 grass carp last September. It's a little early, but I've seen no effect from them, nor have I even seen one of the carp as I fish. Hope they didn't get eaten.

Anyway, I've had the idea for a long time that digging the shallow area out to around 5-6 feet deep would help prevent the weeds so I can get to the source and deal with fewer weeds every year. I can use the dirt to fill in some low spots in surrounding pasture. I have a couple of questions.

What's the best depth around the shoreline?

I want to leave enough shallow area for bedding, so should I leave specific areas at the shallow depth?

While I'm digging, should I do anything special such as some areas deeper than others?

How long will the mud take to dry out and should I expect a lot of odor for a long time?

Timing: Any reason NOT to dig now? Any reason to wait until winter? I'm concerned about losing a lot of small fry if I remove the grass this way.

Any effect on spawning bluegill for the rest of the year?

Thanks ahead of time for any help provided.

Dave

Dave,

I used a small track hoe (excavator) to do exactly what you're talking about...I was able to reach out several feet into my pond and take out a lot of shore line bottom muck...stacked it on the bank and then used my tractor to spread and disperse...depending on the size you get you can take the bottom level down as deep as 12 feet...I went down to 5-6 feet with a mini-excavator...cost about $300 for a week's rental...I didn't drain or dry, simply reached into the water and started digging...used the arm as a gauge for bottom depth...the equipment is not at all hard to use and just about all rental places will give you a short course on the operation...one drawback to this method is you'll create some muddy water...I didn't care, it did settle out over time and didn't harm my fish...I did get a bloom shortly after the process, I think probably because I release a lot of nutrients during the whole process...I'll be doing it all over again this summer 'cause I'm expanding !

here' a little trick. after i dug some areas deeper and filled some low bank areas , there was alot of loose dirt on the bottom still there. so i bolted a 8"x8"x3/4" 6' angle to the bucket and pulled it across the bottom to shore. you got get the feel. i had the angle , i'm sure a pc of I beam work too. just made for a cleaner job. rented equipment you might get some heat for burning holes in the bucket. maybe some xtra xtra heavy duty clamps work. just an idea.