Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Side forage ponds

How many of you are running a smaller side forage pond for testing, supplement larger pond forage, etc? What are the sizes these ponds?

I tossed 50 small BG and a pound of fatheads in a pond that was about 1/8 acre. It worked great and I seined and trapped thousands. However, I ran out of anyone to help me seine it. They overspawned and everything died.

Texas715,

I was in the process of building a forage pond attached to my larger pond. Went to the DFW Pond Boss meeting and after listening to Bob's reasoning decided to just make it part of the larger pond and not a separate forage pond.

If someone has the minutes to that meeting, perhaps they could post the rationale involved...but part of it was the amount of work involved, just as DD mentioned above. My memory isn't the best, but I also think part of it was that if you concentrate on the forage in the main pond itself, you will likely receive more benefit than you would in a separate forage pond. Also seems like Bob mentioned a pond size break point below which forage ponds were not worth the effort and I believe it was something like 10 acres, but I could be wrong....hopefully a DFW attendee will remember better than I.

No regrets about the decision either...the added area has been a great haven for Gambusia and other small fry and the LMB love to lie in wait to get them when the opportunity presents itself.

There was also a PB article on this. They are hard to maintain and harvest unless you have the right conditions. Plan on spending a few $$$ to install drainage pipe...and they resist going into that. I remember reading about fishing clubs letting their forage ponds go dry...too expensive and too much work.

With all that said, get a blocker net and use part of the pond you already have available, I put a small one out last weekend, it wasn't as easy as I tought it would be, but it was fun...wish it was a little bigger, live and learn.

I have plans in the near future to redig and clean up a 1/6 acre pond for a forage pond. The Peacock Bass in my larger pond have an unreal appetite which I have supplemented by buying Tilapia in the 3-5 inch range. I can buy 1,000 Tilapia this size for app. $25 which seems low and I usually buy 2,000 at a time. But, their effect in the 5 acre pond only last's for two weeks max., which means that I am buying a lot of feed. I have been removing the Peacocks, but unfortuneatly even this has not slowed down the disappearance of fry. Honestly the LMB would have been a better choice had it been available. My observation of the PB is as long as there is food to chase they keep running which probably results in a body weight to forage of well below the 10-1 ratio of LMB. But, my "bed is made" and at least for the next few years need to live with it.

My plan for the 1/6 acre pond is to stock only Tilapia and make a high class seine as shown during Bruce C. and Bob Lusk's previous trip to Nebraska. I'm hoping that once the pond is cleaned out that a good seine can be run through it a few times a year capturing some gazillions of the overpopulating monsters for a cheaper alternative to buying. Also being a hobbiest isn't it somewhat more appealling to be self sufficient?

The small pond is close to the larger pond and I could install a culvert pipe to block and open, but once the PB enter the small pond would have to do a complete pump out to get rid of the predators.

Now the question for you pond meister's would be in this situation with year round Tilapia populations would the expense be worth it? Additionally, for $4 a day per person can get all the help needed in seining.

Here is my little recently dug forage pond. It's less than 1/10 of an acre and isn't nearly full yet. I intended for it to be a much bigger crappie pond, but was hitting alot of rocks with the dozer. So I scrapped the crappie pond idea and decided to make this little forage pond. It's roughly 50 yards below the main pond. (2nd pic shows it through a fencerow from the bottom of the main pond dam) I hope to find out how well it works by next summer

Don, I like it. But then, I like forage ponds more than others. Actually, I guess I just like having a bunch of holes in the ground that contain water and fish. You must have a lot of peacocks to go thru 142 3-5 in. tilapia per day. Dang, I envy you. Are there any other predators? What do the peacocks prey on when you don't stock the tilapia?

What are the chances of losing the tilapia during a monsoon? Why would you install a culvert if you want to seine?

I would expect that, with tilapia in a 1/6 acre pond, you would have to seine a lot more than a couple of times per year.

Dave,

Interesting questions, but to answer them in detail needs its own thread so will start a new thread in the next two days seeking advice for my situation. Should be interesting as it may test all our logics with few chances of "gaffing me off" to a shortcut to a previous thread!

In short I do have other predators but their presence is insignificant in relation to the Peacock Bass.

When I clean up the 1/6 acre pond for easy seining I will also add levies that ensure that over flooding does not occur. Currently the pond does flood in the rain season and I have used netting to contain the fish within...but honestly some fish including the PB have escaped in the last two seasons and may well be on their way to the mighty Mekong River (80km away).

Two or three times a year should be enough seining to control the Tilapia population, but will see as I may have to add a milder predator. I believe as the pond overpopulates the fish should stunt in growth.
This region is remarkable as fish kills are extremely rare, in my 5 acre pond I have never seen a dead fish in the three years of its existence, in the 1/6 acre pond have seen only a few single dead fish in the last five years. The dry season here is accompanied by high winds and sunny days, plus most of the species can air breathe for short durations, unlike those species in N. America that have the 15 minute limit. I have not yet installed any aeration, though would like to someday.

P.S.

Dave,

I will not install a culvert as I do not want the predator to enter the forage pond. I have a gas trash pump that can blow 100 gallons a minute so if needed can drop the pond level without draining.

Don

I have 3 forage ponds. 2 of them are about 1/10 of an acre in size. One is used for growing out RE and FH. The other for BG and FH. The third is a goldfish factory with the sole purpose of bait for my limb lining obsession. I am working on a fourth pond to restart my creek chub experiment.

Don,

Looking forward to your new post....and especially your experiences with the PB. Fascinating stuff, and dang, just like DD, I envy you also.

Don that new thread should be interesting and a lot of fun not to mention a learning tool.

I have a very simple forage pond. Next to my barn there is a swamp that is about 1/3 acre. It usually dries up in late august. When it it dry, I use a grader box to make a six foot wide trench about two feet deep. As the water gets to this low point, it is easy to seine. With just 5 pounds of fatheads in April, there must be millions of them in August! I think they lay eggs on the willow trunks.

h2o,

I'd like to request an update on your experiment, when it makes sense to do so. I've tried to follow your results with interest. We can all learn so much from these experiments. Thanks.

h20fwlkillr. I would like to have 2 or 3 perserved (rubbing alcohol) chubs that you use for breeders in the stocking of your creek chub experiment. Please keep me in mind about this.

I haven't forgotten Bill. The ones I had in my tank died during a power outage. When my creek stops roaring from the huge rains we keep getting, I will be seining again. The new pond is full. I am waiting on suspended particles to settle and of course....the chubs. They usually start spawning in mid May. I am hoping to get some before they spawn. I will keep everyone posted.

Eastland where did you get the blocker net and what made it so hard setting up?

ML - I would be interested in those notes. 10 acres seems like it would be even harder.

Don - I think you are the envy of most. I would love to have some PB. People would be beating down the door to come fishing.

I am looking at this for several reason though. One reason is Tilapia, catfish, Blue gill. Just the fun of raising and being able to harvest for table. I did a test with fresh water prawns in one of my stock tanks and they need more attention to be successful (aeration and feeding). And the last reason is $$$. I can put drain that goes into my lake very easy from where I am going to locate this.