Hello everyone! I joined and have been lurking around a little bit. I have read many post and just wanted to introduce myself. I have a fairly new pond and really wish I had found this forum sooner! I hope to share a few pics soon and look forward to learning and conversing with all.

TT, glad u have jumped in. Lots of good people here. I joined up about 15 months ago or so and I learned many will answer your call for direction, discussion or just someone to bounce things off of. So where are u located in Texas? What are your goals with the new pond?

Tracy

TG1W, good morning and thanks! I am in Atlanta Tx, my pond is about 1.5 acres. My focus right now is just a good multi-species fishing hole for my family. I stocked CC, BG, RES, and FHM in 2014. In October of last year I added LMB, HC, more BG, and FHM. New to this forum thing so you may have to bare with me a bit lol

Welcome Tom

BTW, what is HC?

Thanks Dave!

Hybrid Crappie I hope lol like I said y'all may have to bare with me a bit

Welcome TomTom
Jump right in and join the texas family. Lots of help here and a lot of fun!
Tell us what your plans are for your fishery and post pix when you get time

Thanks Pat! I am learning as I go here, I will try and get a couple of pics up next.

Welcome Tomtom from Deep East Texas.I joined in 2014...still read and learn from this forum every day.I stocked around the same time you did. Would love to compare notes. Good luck and ask lots of questions and be sure to subscribe to Pond Boss Magazine!!

Thanks Flame! I will post a few pics as soon as I get time to figure out how. I have limited data right now as I am gone 300+ days a year working, but I am very interested to see how well your fish are doing. You guys sure know how to make a guy feel at home here and I think in the last couple of months I have read more than when I was in HS and college combined lol. I guess it's just a matter of interest. Managing a pond of my own has always been a goal of mine, I never imagined I would lose interest in hunting for sake of raising fish, but I think I am addicted!

It happens!! I've got a 20 ft bass boat that never leaves the garage any more. Does anyone manage and protect your pond while you are gone? Feed the fish??

Lol if I owned a bass boat it would share the same fate! Yes I have my wife, daughter, and two teenage sons that do a very good job of taking care of my pond. We have 62 acres and are building a house now as well. My wife had always told me she grew up on a farm... I had my doubts, but boy has she proven me wrong!! She is tilling the garden and refreshing all the greenhouse planter boxes today. I am glad I am working lol. The fish are not eating much right now, but when it was warmer, they were being fed twice a day. I have attempted twice to buy a feeder, only to be told it would ruin their fun, so as long as they enjoy it, I guess I will save a little money.

Flame, I have a 1979 20 ft Ranger that hasn't moved in about 20 years. That was when I built the pond.

Wife told me to sell it when we had been married about 5 or so years. I told her that I have had the boat longer than I have her and I'm keeping the boat. No problems since.

^^^^ That's awesome lol

Mine is my last team boat from skeeter. It is a 1998 but like new. My wife was kinda the same way.That boat is like a part of my family. Always had a dream of retiring and fishing everyday.I do.....just don't use the boat. Have seriously threathoned to put that 20 footer in my 2 acre pond just to get some use out of it!! I'm feelin ya Dave!!

I love being on the big pond in the little boats. It is very peaceful. And the fishing is great!!!

Mine was the first pro fishing model with a 200 hp Evinrude. It used to turn heads. I had the motor and everything else gone through last year but only took it out once. I might be able to get $2,500 for it.

I guess I'm just not interested in fighting Fort Worth traffic to go fishing. I probably have 20 rods and a dozen tackle boxes.

But, I'd rather drive 70 miles to the property and mess with my ponds and other things on a 4 wheeler.

Dave,My house is 6 miles from the boat ramp on Lake Sam Rayburn and 12 miles from the boat ramp on Toledo Bend but......my 2 acre pond is only 250 ft. from my back porch!!! I fish every day! I don't know if you remember but I anchored a 30 foot covered pontoon boat on my pond and built a walkway out to it. This is my fishing dock. I spoiled myself!!

My pond

Beautiful, Very Nice!!

Ok, i finally figured out how to put a couple of pics up. These are fish my nephew and I caught with a cast net last month. The LMB were 1.5 to 2" long when stocked in October last year.

Thanks man! Still does not feel real to me yet, I never dreamed to be so blessed!

Here are a couple of more pics, I had to resize... The RES I believe is from the original batch I stocked in 2014. The HCP are from October last year.

Really nice place

Thanks Dave!

Nice place ! One of the LMB has been eating , the other not so much.

Thanks ewest! I caught 4-5 other LMB that day, several of them were fat like the one pictured, but it was too darn cold and I couldn't feel my fingers anymore so I stopped taking pictures. Is it normal for LMB to thin out in the winter? Just curious, as I have never fished for them in the coldest part of the winter.

Is it normal for LMB to thin out in the winter?

Some will get thin and a few will be fat. Metabolism slows and with it the need for extra food. However they need enough (food or stored fat) to overwinter.

Ok, I gotcha, that makes sense. Thanks!