Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations New Pond

We just purchased 10 acres in Deer Creek OK (near OKC.) It has the below pond on it. The pics show the pond before it filled up...it's now about 3 - 5 feet deeper, and I estimate it about an acre and 8 - 10 feet deep. I would like to manage this pond for good sized LMB. My delimma....we currently live in Texas, so I can only make a trip to the pond every few months. We hope to build our retirement home on this land in about 10 years, and I would like my grandkids to have a decent pond to fish. Obviously, I don't need quick results, but would like some suggestions on what I can do to get this pond heading in the right direction with minimal on-site attention. I'm a seasoned bass fisherman, but know absolutely nothing about pond management, so I don't even know where to start searching in this fine site. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Tough question. How do you do anything correctly en absentia? The quick answer is to subscribe to Pond Boss mag, buy the books(s), read all of the past posts and look for pond management websites. Then you will find out what you are up against. That's step one.

From the pictures and your post, it appears that you have some pretty wide swings in water depth and a possible weed issue. Those can happen anywhere but the runoff area really matters. Some plant growth can be beneficial.

Step two might be water sampling to determine ph and alkilinity, sampling the fishing to determine what you have now and talking to neighbors about the history of the pond and what seems to work best in the area. BTW, helpful but well meaning neighbors can either be a blessing or a major problem. This stuff ain't rocket science but even the pro's can and do make mistakes.

Step three might be doing the first 2 things and then coming back with specific questions.

BTW, Welcome and congratulations on your purchase and your question. An awful lot of us, like me, found this site after making huge mistakes.

I had a pond in the same state I lived in, but it was two hours away. It was an 8.5 acre pond. Very difficult to manage a pond well from that long a distance. I was soon frustrated and sold the property for something much closer...an hour closer

good luck

Thanks for the responses!! My first Pond Boss book is ordered and on the way. This pond was drained and rebuilt right before I bought it, and the pics are when the pond was filling up. It has decent runoff, so I hope I don't have a problem keeping it full, but time will tell, right? I'm really not looking to actively manage this pond....I got way too many other hobbies and kids to finance. I just want to know a few small things I can do now that will help mother nature finish the rest. I'm looking forward to reading the book and hitting this site from time to time.
Thanks!!!

Check out the water quality first. Theres not a lot more that can be done to passively manage and purposely/necessarily neglect something for results that are 10 years down the road. I would probably put in 5 lbs. of fatheads, 300 or 400 bluegills and go up every couple of months to see what happens. Channel cats would be nice but once the locals find out about them and your absence, they would be a waste of money. Wait on the bass until a year before you retire. If you put them in now, they will mostly likely overspawn and stunt; that is if the locals let them.

Another idea...go ahead and stock it. Many landowners stock and forget about it. One acre is a manageable size. If you stock it correctly, when and if the water clears, you can fertilize as needed, maybe even set up a feeder and have a neighbor keep it full. You don't have to feed much, either..maybe a pound daily. A professional fisheries manager can come by from time to time to check the progress of the fishery. By the time you are ready to move there, or at least spend more time there, you will have a mature lake ready to enjoy. If you don't stock it correctly early on, Mother Nature will do it...and not likely like you want it.