Guys and Gals,
I have two new tanks that were built two and a half years ago after the fires in the Possom Kingdom area of Texas. Finally, this spring they are filling up and I was looking for recommendations on what I should stock them with. The lower Tank should be around .75 of an acre when full and the upper one will be .55 acres when full. In the smaller one I have what might be cattails, and did not know if I should try and rid them or leave it for cover?
Thanks for your help!
Leswad
upper:
Lower (Iphone sucks)
Leswad,
Welcome to Pond Boss. . . lots of good info and helpful folks here...is that Palo Pinto County?
Welcome to PBF Leswad!
Hopefully, some of the Southern boys will chime in with some thoughts on stocking those Texas ponds for you. What are your goals? Big LMB or maybe HSB or maybe.... That info will help them with any recommendations.
Again Welcome!
Bill D.
Stickem', close... I am on the east side of Stephens county.
Bill D., I love bass and also like to fly fish.... I am not much into catfish, so I was thinking bass, bluegills, perch and minnows.
At capacity I believe both tanks will be 10-12 feet deep and be pretty clear once the rains end this spring.
Stickem', close... I am on the east side of Stephens county.
Bill D., I love bass and also like to fly fish.... I am not much into catfish, so I was thinking bass, bluegills, perch and minnows.
At capacity I believe both tanks will be 10-12 feet deep and be pretty clear once the rains end this sptoring.
Les, if you like to fly fish, check out some of my favorite species:
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=408803&gonew=1#UNREADWelcome to PondBoss!
George Glazener
Link to Fly Fishing topic:
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=54&page=1
Just remember, whatever is stocked in the upper pond will make it's way into the lower pond.
Yep, get rid of the cattails. A backhoe is the best remedy but you can spray with a good pond approved Glyphosate like Rodeo. Not sure what surfactant I used. Get rid of them before they make a seed head.
In anything less than 1.5 acres I don't recommend bass in Texas. They are just too good at over spawning and stunting.
My preference for ponds that size is hybrid bluegills, channel cats and/or hybrid stripers.
Roadwarriorsvt, these lakes are feed by two different valleys, so no need to worry about downstream. I just named them that because of where they are located on my place.
Dave, I ordered Glyphosate. I have to have bass.... Maybe I can eat them quicker than they can reproduce?
Do catfish help the ecosystem in a lake? Are they essential?
Thanks for all of the input!
No, the cats don't do anything for the ecosystem. They will possibly spawn but the offspring will be eaten by everything.
Ponds are different than lakes and bass have to be heavily managed. They will definitely get hook shy and more than likely over spawn. The average Texas pond is bass heavy and forage light. Catch and release and "too small to keep" will ruin your pond. You will have to work at culling them. I highly recommend a 3 inch bluegill as bait.
OK, here is what I was thinking...
for the larger Tank:
50 native Largemouth
500 Blugill
5 lbs of Fathead Minnows
50 Blue Catfish
For the smaller one:
40 native Largemouth
375 Blugill
125 Sunfish
5 lbs of Fathead Minnows
Thoughts?
If you're putting Blues in the first tank, you better bump up the forage significantly.........
