I cleaned out the 1/8 acre pond that was on the property and although it is small I have no room to make it bigger. It's all clay and I can add rocks and logs but for now I'm wondering what my options are for fish. I dought it is big enough for catfish and bass and I would be happy with a good bluegill population for the kids to fish for. I just doen't know what to put in it or how many. right now it is over run with crawfish and I have seen three snapping turtles. Any ideas or suggestions would be great!!! thanx
It had silted in over the years and was only 2 to 3 feet deep and has dried up every year for several years now. I dug it out earlier this spring for my ducks and just couldn't stop playing on the tractor before I knew it I was half way done. It's filled up now and I do expect it to drop this summer but I cut all the willow trees down and the clay base is very thick so I'm only worried about evaporation. If it dries up this summer I'll make it deaper then the 8 feet I have now. I'm across from a lake so bluegill would be great for bate and eating.
For a pond that small I like male only BG that you transfer from the nearby lake. Try for a total BG of 20-40 depending if you feed them or not. With males only, no reproduction nor overpopulation problems. Make a mistake and the small pond is easily renovated. BG would be put and take but would grow large to trophy class sizes if you fed them pellets. To better utilize the crayfish you could catch some only male or only female LMB off nests and stock them. Males will be emitting milt and females plump with eggs during the spawn. It would not take many LMB in a 1/8ac maybe 3-6. Fed HSB would be another option instead of LMB. They don't reproduce, eat pellets and 10-12 would be a good number to try. Non reproducing fish give you much better control of the fishery in a small pond such as yours.
thanks a lot I hadn't thought of sexing bg and stocking that way.
Do you have any pics of your pond you can post?