Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Newbie needs stocking Help

Having a leaking 3/4 to one acre pond re-cored in a couple of weeks. Pond always leaked, never could find water anywhere around it. Since it is vertually a mud puddle now, I am having it redug and re-cored. Contractor thinks I will double the volume of water when full. Overall size will still about an acre. Depth up to 20'. Run off creek that feeds it. Had C cats that thrived for 10 years even when it got real low. I want more! I put a truck load of Bentonite in it last fall to try to seal the leak and killed off my fish. Now it is a vendetta. My wife grew up on this land and we built our dream house next to this pond after moving away for 20 years. My first priority is to hold water. My second is to have a fun fishery for sport and an occasional fish fry. The pond is clean of brush with clean banks. Besides C cats, what else can I expect to raise in it for sport? Thanks in advance guys.
Kevin

fourstarkf,

Welcome to the Forum and here's hoping you have solved your pond leaks.

Sport fish options: You can have an entertaining LMB/BG pond in one acre. Since you are interested, it sounds, in fun rather than "trophy" I would recommend you find some native LMB for stocking next June. This fall, stock CNBG and RES and fathead minnows to get everything off to a good start.

Another option to consider with your deep water and open areas is the HSB. A very fun, exciting predator that will make you wish you had never stocked a single CC. Generally it is better to artificially feed the HSB and if that is not an option, then they may not be for you.

A couple of concerns I would have are:

1) do you have adequate clay at this site for the re-coring and rebuilding? If not, you may be either disappointed or out large sums of cash to get the pond you want...or both. Nature does not care about your vendetta, and either you have good clay or not.

2) the creek that overflows, in all likelyhood, carries with it certain species that you may not want in your pond.

Thansk for the reply. I live on 30 acres so my contractor can get as much clay as he needs to get the core job done. Please elborate on your fish abbreviations for me. I got the hybrid SB and LMB but am brain dead on the rest. Thanks for the valuable info.

Kevin

BG-Regular Bluegill
CNBG-Coppernose Bluegill
CC-Chanel Cats
RES-Redear Sunfish(Shellcrackers)

Hope that helps. You get used to all the abbreviations if you hang around long at all.
Good Luck

Kevin,

Sorry...RES red ear sunfish, CNBG coppernosed bluegill, CC channel catfish, BG bluegill

Thanks guys. Counting the days now. I appreciate the info.

Kevin

So the fact that I have no cover doesn't matter? Stocking preditors like BSB and LMB won't affect the others. No one mentioned Crappies. I know they can overtake a pond quickly. I liked the comment about artificially feeding the Hybrids. My fatherin law liked feeding when we had C-Cats. I just want a fun fishery with some variety and action. (for the kids of course) Love the feedback guys. Thanks again.

Kevin

Kevin, you brought up an interesting point about cover. Now is the time to do it while the pond is empty.

Review the postings under the Creating Habitat category. Everything you need is right there.