LMB Pond in Northern New Mexico - 06/25/13 10:07 PM
Hi everyone!
I have been lurking here on your forums for awhile now and I must admit the pond bug has bit me hard. I am an avid bass angler and I am interested in building my own pond.
The Goals
Have a ½ to 1 acre pond with forage fish and excellent Predator, preferably LMB or SMB, fishing.
I am not looking to harvest ANY fish for food.
If it’s better for the pond to have some forage or predator fish be harvested, then I would gladly do that but I never want to damage the fishing quality.
I am willing to feed pellets to the forage or predator fish. In my mind I would rather fed the forage fish because I would think the predator fish would become too used to eating pellets than live bait. Please let me know if that logic is incorrect.
I am not interested in stocking ant catfish, striped bass or carp unless it’s helpful to the bass. (Don’t get me wont I love all types of fishing, it’s just I would like to see how well I could manage the predator fish in ideal conditions.)
The Plan
My plan was once the pond was built and filled, to do an initial stocking of pure strain bluegill and a large amount of flat head minnows.
After 6-12 months, I would introduce the predator fish along with another large stocking of FHM.
In theory the FHM would be food until there is a new batch of bluegill.
I would feed pellets to the bluegill and in turn they would feed my bass.
Ideally I would like to have bass averaging around the 2-3 pound range, any larger would be wonderful.
Due to the high cost I do not plan on providing any aeration to this pond.
The Issues
I think that my biggest problem is with my location. I live in Northern New Mexico and although our summers are plenty warm our winters are a lot colder than people think. Here is the monthly High/Low averages thought the year.
Jan 43/17, Feb 48/21, Mar 56/26, Apr 65/32, May 74/40, Jun 82/47, Jul 86/53, Aug 83/53, Sep 78/46, Oct 67/36, Nov 53/26 and Dec 43/18
I completely expect the pond to Ice over during the winter. There is a nearby lake that has lots so smallmouth that seem to survive well but there are no LMB. Is that a sign that LMB are not meant to live in this environment or could it be for other reasons?
That being said ideally I would like to have LMB. They seem much easier to provide forage for and I just like fishing for them. I am just unsure if they could survive the winter here. I am willing to sacrifice a shorter growing season, so long as they will be healthy.
If it’s decided that my property is not habitable for LMB my next thought would be to SMB. I like SMB and would be fine with having them in my pond but they seem much more difficult to maintain forage fish for. I have read that bluegill are not a good pair for SMB. Second SMB seem more difficult to obtain, but please correct me if I’m wrong.
The Questions
1. What fish do you think will be able to survive in a pond at this location? LMB, SMB, Bluegill, FLHM?
2. Are there any suggestions that could help keep the fish alive during the winter? Eg: deeper pond, larger surface area or electric heaters (please don’t let it come to that).
3. I really don’t want to shell out a $1000 on an aerator much less run power to it. How will not having an aerator affect my pond?
4. In the event LMB are not a reasonable fish to stock, how difficult would SMB be to stock and provide food for?
I have been lurking here on your forums for awhile now and I must admit the pond bug has bit me hard. I am an avid bass angler and I am interested in building my own pond.
The Goals
Have a ½ to 1 acre pond with forage fish and excellent Predator, preferably LMB or SMB, fishing.
I am not looking to harvest ANY fish for food.
If it’s better for the pond to have some forage or predator fish be harvested, then I would gladly do that but I never want to damage the fishing quality.
I am willing to feed pellets to the forage or predator fish. In my mind I would rather fed the forage fish because I would think the predator fish would become too used to eating pellets than live bait. Please let me know if that logic is incorrect.
I am not interested in stocking ant catfish, striped bass or carp unless it’s helpful to the bass. (Don’t get me wont I love all types of fishing, it’s just I would like to see how well I could manage the predator fish in ideal conditions.)
The Plan
My plan was once the pond was built and filled, to do an initial stocking of pure strain bluegill and a large amount of flat head minnows.
After 6-12 months, I would introduce the predator fish along with another large stocking of FHM.
In theory the FHM would be food until there is a new batch of bluegill.
I would feed pellets to the bluegill and in turn they would feed my bass.
Ideally I would like to have bass averaging around the 2-3 pound range, any larger would be wonderful.
Due to the high cost I do not plan on providing any aeration to this pond.
The Issues
I think that my biggest problem is with my location. I live in Northern New Mexico and although our summers are plenty warm our winters are a lot colder than people think. Here is the monthly High/Low averages thought the year.
Jan 43/17, Feb 48/21, Mar 56/26, Apr 65/32, May 74/40, Jun 82/47, Jul 86/53, Aug 83/53, Sep 78/46, Oct 67/36, Nov 53/26 and Dec 43/18
I completely expect the pond to Ice over during the winter. There is a nearby lake that has lots so smallmouth that seem to survive well but there are no LMB. Is that a sign that LMB are not meant to live in this environment or could it be for other reasons?
That being said ideally I would like to have LMB. They seem much easier to provide forage for and I just like fishing for them. I am just unsure if they could survive the winter here. I am willing to sacrifice a shorter growing season, so long as they will be healthy.
If it’s decided that my property is not habitable for LMB my next thought would be to SMB. I like SMB and would be fine with having them in my pond but they seem much more difficult to maintain forage fish for. I have read that bluegill are not a good pair for SMB. Second SMB seem more difficult to obtain, but please correct me if I’m wrong.
The Questions
1. What fish do you think will be able to survive in a pond at this location? LMB, SMB, Bluegill, FLHM?
2. Are there any suggestions that could help keep the fish alive during the winter? Eg: deeper pond, larger surface area or electric heaters (please don’t let it come to that).
3. I really don’t want to shell out a $1000 on an aerator much less run power to it. How will not having an aerator affect my pond?
4. In the event LMB are not a reasonable fish to stock, how difficult would SMB be to stock and provide food for?