I grew up on the KS/MO border and fished, fished, fished as a youth. Now I live on the UT/ID border and have 4 sons.
All that's available to catch around here are worthless stocked rainbow trout (slime buckets).
So I thought I'd recreate my childhood adventures for my boys.
The catch, however, is that I'm doing this on a budget of $0 and trade work.
I had a buddy come dig me a hole with his track hoe. He only got about 45% of what I wanted done. Hence, I currently have a .35 acre pond that runs to a depth of about 12' when full.
I pumped water in from a canal and it's probably 80-85% full.
Now, because I didn't find this site in time, I have no structure, no nothing. Just a big hole in the ground with water in it.
Today I took my boys fishing and we caught 32 bluegill and translocated them to the pond.
My goal was/is to have a LMB, BG, and CC pond... I think.
First define your goals, which you are close to doing in this thread. Next decide what type of fish you would like and search for reputable hatcheries located near you. On the Idaho department of Agriculture website is a list of fish farms. Be careful when bringing in from someone else's pond, because you can transfer unwanted diseases or parasites with those fish.
How big do you what the pond?
Do you have a map or sketch of your pond on a topo or ariel photograph?
What part of Idaho are you located at?
When you have decided on the fishery you would like to have. Then you can start with habitat, food chain, and harvesting.
Good land management is an extended learning experience-Aldo Leopold
I'm on the UT side. There are ZERO hatcheries I can find that carry bass or bluegill. I found one on a state list and they don't seem to be in biz anymore.
I can take some photos of the pond as is. You'll laugh at how sad it is, though... BRB
First of all, no one around here is going to be laughing at your pond. I know plenty of people who would be completely jealous to have even the small pond that you have.
With a limited budget, as you mentioned, transferring fish from friends' ponds is a logical solution. Just be careful you don't introduce something you don't want in there. Getting those BG established should be goal #1, no matter you goals. I think you could get away with stocking about 200. And wait to stock your LMB until you know the BG have spawned and established themselves successfully.
Jordan, it's amazing what you can do with a small pond and there are incredible articles focused completely on "micro ponds" if you haven't checked them out already.
Welcome to Pond Boss. Stick around and you'll learn a ton about making your little hole in the ground everything you want it to be.
Ok, here are a couple of pix. Water has dropped about 2' since initial filling 6 weeks ago. I figure the banks have absorbed much, combined with evaporation.
I don't know whether my murk counts as algae or not, but it's got a lot of bug life in there, and I found a bunch of 1" frogs in there when I released the bluegill.
So, insofar as my goals go, my top priority is being able to go out and fish with my boys and make memories. So bluegill will likely be my primary focus. But I would love to have a handfull of mediumish-sized LMB trolling through there for a different challenge.
Also, I love fresh fish. So, on occasion, these guys will serve as my protein source.
Ok. I found an updated list of UT commercial hatcheries. First one I called wants $5/bluegill (6-7") and $7/bass (12") + $150 delivery. That sure seems pretty steep to me... Couldn't even tell me what strains of fish they were...
Nothing wrong with scenery at all Jordan! Very nice! So I would think you'd be comfortable with what people consider either a "balanced" pond or a trophy bass pond. The first you manage with the hope of getting the most potential out of both species, BG and LMB, while the latter assures your boys get to catch all the BG they can handle with the occasional decent LMB mixed in. In this scenerio the majority of the BG will remain small, though experts on this site can give you some harvesting pointers that can help your BG avoid stunting and overcrowding (and give you something to eat on occasion). Get more BG in there, and possibly some FHM (fathead minnows) to get a good forage base going before you introduce your LMB.
Those prices seem astronomical to me, though they are larger fish so you can expect to spend more. Where did you catch those 30+ BG? A friend's pond? Perhaps you can get what you need from him. Since your pond is small it shouldn't be too demanding. You can probably get away with 25-40 LMB and possibly cull the male LMB and female BG to get best results, but wait for an expert to elaborate on this first. The forum slows a bit on the weekends so this thread will get noticed more when Monday rolls around and you should get some great advice.
I sure ain't laughing! That's some nice looking water.
If it's legal, for a pond that size, you could transfer fish from another BOW. A few things to watch out for if you do. 1) Inspect the fish for any wounds or external parasites. Don't stock them if you find any. 2) I'd get a couple (or 3) stock tanks, say 100 gallons each. Use a salt dip in each tank: Salt Dip If 3 tanks, first and last are salt dip tanks, middle tank is clear water. 3) Net them out, don't dump the water into the pond. 4) Be 100% sure of your fish I.D. skills before transferring fish. If the fish doesn't look like a pure bred fish, I wouldn't introduce it.
I've introduced unwanted plants into my pond by transferring fish without giving the salt dip. I have even "washed off" the fish in a tank of well water, netted them out, and I STILL ended up with unwanted plants in the pond (i.e. Eurasian Water Milfoil)
I'd put Bluegills (say 200 of them), Largemouth Bass (10-15 of them) in the pond. If you can catch any Redear Sunfish or Pumpkinseed Sunfish, I'd toss in 25 or so of them as well. Channel Catfish if you want say 25 of them. I'm working on getting the CC out of my pond. (all but 4 of them) I find that they are hard to catch, and once caught, I have a very hard time catching them again.
If you have some extra $$, see about getting some Golden Shiners or Fathead minnows (preferrably from a supplier and not a bait shop) for the pond. The FHM if put in the pond with Bg or LMB, most likely won't last a week or 2 before they are breakfast, lunch and supper. The GSH will last longer because they swim quicker. Forage diversification is a good thing.
Your pond looks great fro just beginning and on a limited budget. As far as the prices go for BG in your area, I would call all the hatcheries nearest you. This would give you a good foundation to start from.
I would agree with esshup on giving a salt dip to any fish from another BOW.
Even small ponds can produce LMB given the right situation. I would start with getting the BG and FHM into your pond and then introduce your bass at a later date.
Have you thought about feeding your fish with a supplemental feed?
Good land management is an extended learning experience-Aldo Leopold
Thanks for the replies. Primarily BG, secondarily LMB is probably the route I'll take (much as it pains me to go that route).
I called every available stocker in the state, but only talked to one person. Left lotsa messages, though, so hopefully I'll find some more competitive bids on Monday/Tuesday.
I have considered feeding. And I have considered aeration. Feeding will have to wait until my small business pulls through this economic slump. And aeration is also probably cost prohibitive because of the electrical I'd have to lay down from the house or the barn (200 yards) + equipment + electric bill.
For now, I'm hoping I can scrape by doing next to nothing. Just protecting the habitat as best I'm able and hoping that Mother Nature helps me keep my fish alive and thriving...
Went out to the pond again this evening to check for floaters (none yet), and saw just TONS of insect activity on the surface and more tiny frogs on the shores (like the size of my pinky nail)... so hopefully the food chain is ready and waiting to fatten my little BG up.
FWIW, you don't HAVE to run the electric to the pond. You can have the compressor near the house and run 1/2" I.D. drip irrigation line to the pond, then swap it to sinking aeration hose. I know a guy that's running that airline 900' to his pond. He has an alcohol de-icer hooked up to the line, and the line never froze all winter long, and the level of alcohol in the canister never budged.
I doubt that the aerator will add $5.00 to your monthly electric bill. (depending on kwh prices of course)
If the pond is deep enough and the fish load not high you probably will be able to overwinter without a kill. It would help if you could shovel snow off the ice to let sunlight thru. Photoplankton will produce O2 even during the winter if they have enough light.
Last edited by esshup; 07/31/1009:16 PM. Reason: added last paragraph
Yep. Depending on the funds, you could stock 25 or so Rainbow Trout 12" long for the winter. They will die if water temps get over 70°, but they are very active in colder water.
I added some to my pond last October, and caught more of them thru the ice than BG.
You mentioned you lost 2 feet of water. Probably lack of rain or could be water soaking into the soil since it is new especially if sandy soil. Just curious when you built it, did you use the excavated clay layer to line the bottom? That would help keep more water in.
No rain around here. This is a desert. Lots and lots of high-altitude blazing sun.
The clay around here (which is solid from the surface down to about 170'), according to a USDA official, is some of the worst clay in the country. It is completely hydrophobic and seals like no other. I dug about 4' below ground water, as well.
In addition, my pond lies 10' away from an irrigation canal. So I can maintain the water level with a trash pump anytime I need to. I filled the whole thing in only 2 days with a 3" intake.