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#230553 08/11/10 11:19 AM
Joined: Aug 2010
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BG15 Offline OP
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Hello-

My family and I have two one acre ponds on 50 acres in Bluff Dale, TX and we want to make these into great bass fishing ponds. One of our ponds is fairly muddy and has catfish and blue gill in it. This pond is about an acre in size and the deepest part (the middle) is about 10’. The majority of these catfish are 5" in length and it seems that some of these are not channel catfish. We have caught some channel catfish, but we have also caught some catfish that have a brownish/yellowish color to them. I am going to try and get rid of all of these yellowish catfish to see if that will help clear up the pond. Is there a better approach to get rid of these bad “mudcats”? What is the best approach without killing the other fish? Also, we want to be able to clear up this “muddy looking” pond as much as possible so I will be performing a water jug test next time I am out there. This pond also looks like it does not have any vegetation in it and I didn't know if I should plant any to help provide oxygen and cover for the baitfish. Our main concerns are that we don’t know where to start or what we need to do to get this pond in order to stock bass in it this fall. Here is a list of questions/concerns that I have:
1. It doesn't look like any vegetation is growing in it. Do we need to get any vegetation to grow?
2. I have dropped some structure in the middle of the pond and I will be adding a couple of "rock/brick" reefs in the middle and adding pea gravel in some other shallower parts. Should I drop any kind of structure in the shallower water? Any other suggestions on structure?
3. What do I need to do to ensure a healthy bass fishing pond?
4. What is the easiest way to clear a muddy pond?
5. There are some water testing kits online…should I buy those and test the pond water myself? If so, what brand do you recommend I use?
6. Should I be adding any fertilizers or lime to help promote a healthier pond? Do I need to add anything once a year/twice a year or anything like that?
7. Are aerators necessary for TX ponds since it gets so hot? Is there a cheaper way to help aerate other than buying a $1,000 machine?

Can you suggest any step-by-step approaches that I need to take to ensure a healthy pond for bass? For example, first take a pH test and add lime/fertilize from the samples you get back. Secondly, …..

Note: I have attached a picture of this pond to show you the size and how muddy it looks. This picture does was taken last fall, so it is not near as muddy as it looks today. We have a 20 acre coastal hay field around this pond and I have checked for any erosion and was unable to find anything.

Please let me know what you think I need to do to ensure that once we stock bass it will be a great bass pond for years to come. I greatly appreciate your time.

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Lower Pond 2.jpg
BG15 #230557 08/11/10 11:42 AM
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I think you have a bullhead infestation.

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1. Vegetation isn't a big deal for oxygenation. Wind, sunshine and phytoplankton generate most of it.

2. 3 or 4 structure spots per acre are usually about right.

3. Healthy bass ponds involve water quality, forage, low stocking numbers, culling, culling, culling and copious amounts of cash.

4. Assuming that the clay isn't kept suspended by wind, animals or other issues, alum seems to work best.

5. Go to the TAMU website. They can do a lot better job of testing your water than you can. I'll let others recommend the best kit.

6. Do not fertilize or lime unless you need it.

7. If you want to reach your goal of big bass, aerate. Get a good one.

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What aerators are recommended for a 1-acre pond that a reasonably priced? Also, electricity is about 100 yards away, so should I think about a windmill aerating system? Are there any other ways to help aerate my pond at a lower budget? I attached another picture to show you what the water quality looks like right now. It has been over 100 degrees for the past several weeks. Is that another good reason to aerate? Please let me know what you think. I really appreciate your input.

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I would kill (okay maybe not literally) to have electricity within 100 yards of my pond. I think you are going to be told that electrical aeration is much more cost efficient than windmill even if you have to run a electrical wire or air line 300 feet.

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Go to the Aeration area here and start reading. I am not an aeration expert or even that knowledgeable about the different types.

Your water looks pretty messy but colors on a photo can be deceiving. Take a reading of the clarity by making a sechi disk. Look it up on the internet.

You can push air 100 yards without much trouble. Bury the airline so it won't get messed with.

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BG15,welcome to the forum,we're glad you found us.I,too,am in Texas,just west of Corsicana and I aereate because of the heat.You might contact Ted Lea at Forevergreen and talk to him about aereation needs.Hes a good guy and will tell you straight.My advice if you go this route is DONT go cheap,do it right the first time.I ran pvc from pump to pond and then used self-sinking hose.You wont like the price of the hose,but trust me,its worth every penny.I used it the second time around and was the fool for not using it first.But thats me,why do it right when I can always go back and do it over.


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I second the self-sinking hose. I didn't use it the first time, and I ended up replacing it.

I have a friend that pushes air underground 900' to his ponds. That's the only clear spot that he could put the windmill. The electric is even further away than that.


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