Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat You're the Grand Prize winner!

You are the owner of eighty acres of rolling pasture. There's always been that old dilapidated dam that holds a little water for your horse, but lately it's been really dry in your region. Finally it's time to pull the trigger and call your buddy with the 'dozer. After spending fifty hours or so on the Pond Boss website you decide to excavate to the following dimensions.

163 feet long from overflow (east end) to far end.

77 feet wide on east side at widest point.

Approximate surface area is .15 acre.

Maximum depth is 11 feet and average depth is 5 feet.

Slopes are a steep 3:2 ratio.

Now you're pretty darn happy because you already have 110 V. power and a hydrant to supply water. You live in a dry region, so runoff really isn't going to help alot, but your wife just got done making the following declaration.

"Honey...You've been really good around the house lately. I also admire you for all of the great handiwork you do around the house. I can't hardly put into words how important you've been to this household. I think you should have a $150 dollars per month allowance to spend on whatever you'd like".

Amazed at your good fortune, ideas begin to swirl around your brain! This has to go to my dream pond, you think.

Then the unthinkable happens. After years of entering to Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes, playing keno and buying lottery tickets you find a registered letter in the mail. It reads as follows:

Congratulations! You're the Grand Prize winner of BadBass pond supplies first annual super giveaway. As the Grand Prize winner you will receive $2,000 worth of pond supplies and labor on creation of your dream pond. Imagine what you can buy! You can spend your winnings on any combinations of BadBass equipment or have our staff work for you to make the best pond ever".

So there you have it. $150/month for utilities and $2,000 for supplies. What would you do with these resources. You can't spend any of your own money because you're flat broke from the 'dozer work. You can spend the 2K for fish, supplies, landscaping....you name it.

Here's some pictures of your pond. You'd like to have it up and running by next spring and ideally you'll be fishing by 2007.

Here's your power and hydrant 40 feet from the SW corner of the pond.



Here's the view from the dam.



Now looking from the west towards the dam.

I guess congratulations are in order. I mean, for fooling the wife.

Bruce :

The first question is easy and it is always the first one for any pond manager. What are the owners goals for the pond.. what does he want. I wonder if he wants to grow out BG/RE crosses ? ewest

Will Ed McMahon be there?

Ed McMahon will be there. Your goals are whatever you like individually. I'm hoping to hear what people would do to make their dream pond, but with everbody on the same footing, same budget. Will you use aeration, chemicals, specialty fish, landscaping, dock, structure, more water flow???? What matters most to you, clarity, maximum fish per hour, big fish, red fish, blue fish????

Bruce,

Okay, I'll bite with a serious answer. First, install an aeration system...do-it-yourself cost for that size pond about $500 tops. Next, build a fishing pier on the left area of the "looking west" picture. Again, do-it-yourself, but a really nice pier for kids to enjoy themselves. Costs $400 for materials. That leaves me with $1100.

I would test the soil, if it needs alkalinity adjusted would lime it...lets assume none required. Buy a Stren feeeder for about $400 and set it up on the spot you built for it on the pier.

Leaves me $700. I would go find the very best BG available and stock them together with a good base of fathead minnows. Cost about $300.
I would buy 1 grass carp, and replace every three years.

Now, for the predator...anyone can raise LMB, HSB, cats, etc., but with cold climate, yep, I would get the best trout I could find. My choice would be Kamloops trout. Spend every last penny on them, including any left over from the above projects.

Pay for the feed and electricity out of the $150 monthly and use the remainder to replace the trout as they are removed. No fertilizer, no chemicals. Feed will provide enough fertilize and GC will control weeds...whatever else shows up, deal with it the old fashioned way. That's what I would do, in that climate.

p.s. implict assumption is that the trout would survive year around...if not, back to the drawing boards.

Great answer, ML! Trout are allowed. Remember, it's your little dream pond...on a budget.

I think I understand the rules now, Bruce, so I can play. Small pond, dry region (I may hose that up some, used to 40in/yr), $2k up front, $150/month.

I'd fill 'er up and stock 20 lbs. FH now (figure $150 out of my $2k). Start looking for aeration system it would need and install (another $750).

Next Spring, I stock 200 HBG (I'm gonna push this pond and remove some HBG quick) at 2-3" ($100). Feed all next year, as soon as they take feed, amount consumed up to 2 lbs/day. Hand feeding. May as well start with Aquamax, I'll need it for the next phase. I start fishing the second half of the Summer, hope to remove 50 HBG after they pass 6". The HBG aren't supposed to eat most of the FH.

Next Fall, I stock 30 HSB 8"-10" long ($150). Keep feeding Aquamax; maybe up the max amount per day to 2.5 lbs in cooler weather.

The following Spring I stock 1 GC ($10). I figure I do a partial restock on HBG & HSB about every 3 years. Will watch the weeds and decide what to do about replacement or additional GC as time goes by.

I've got maybe $800 of my capital left and hopefully over the course of a year I run a surplus on my monthly budget after paying for aeration, water, and feed. This should cover my restocking costs in the future, with some capital left for improvements (dock? don't think I need one for .15 acres)(trout in Winter? maybe - depends on what I end up doing in the cold months in New Braska).
_____________________________

An interesting thought experiment. I used my future pond #2 plan with the following modifications: downsized from 1/3 acre, moved to dry region, made it the only pond (this eliminated RES growout right away and Male-only BG later on, forced me to restock rather than transfer, put me in a bigger hurry to get some fish to eat), and foremost, PUT ME ON A BUDGET!

I wonder if he wants to grow out BG/RE crosses ? ewest

Ewest, how did you know that was me down in the hole in the ground?

BM :

It looks like a female down in that hole. I did not think it was you. Bruce is interested in the BG x RE cross also. I thought he might be planning an expir. and not letting us in on the fun so I was fishing for clues. You have to watch those mad scientists like Dr. Frankenbruce and be sure to put them on a strict budget. :p ewest

Ultimate plan:

Spend the entire $2,000 on Georgia Giants and One large mouth bass. Let the rain fill the pond, stick your head underwater every few days for aeration, and blow the $150.00 on high protein feed!

Really just kidding there, but I wanted to play also!

Deb

LOL. You go, girl!

Nice option, Theo. Sounds like you'd have a ton of action! And an impressive show at feeding time.

I think I'm going to spend some money on lining the dam with clay and bentonite to ensure that any fish I stock are not lost due to low water levels because the dam seeps and won't hold water well in this currently dry region. To start off with I will keep it simple and stock BG and CC, a year later I'll stock SMB and then the follwing year I'll stock a few LMB's knowing that eventually the LMB's will outcompete the SMB and their numbers will decline.

Let's just cut to the chase ,stock with green sunfish & bullhead cats.(Then go fish the neighbor's pond (if your real lucky its Bruce, Cecil or any private pond record fish holders pond ) ). Of course then you wouldn't be a pondboss & broke.

bruce, i would put the 2k in a bank, because when your wife finds out your bank account is missing $2000.37 (2000 bucks for the 'winnings' and 37 cents for the stamp), you'll need the money for a divorce lawyer/fees...cuz she's gonna be mad that the only thing hooked here was her lip!!

congrats. i personally would put the money towards good aeration....the rest seems to go pretty nicely.

mark

Mark, pay no attention to Dudley. Think instead of Lawyers fees, separate maintenance (alimony), losing your water hole, and child support.