I have a natural pond located on my property that was dredged out about 20 years ago about 8ft-10ft. The pond has been untouched for about 10 years. For the past month I have been fishing it and there is tons of Bluegill, Catfish, and some bass. I would like to renovate the pond to look more appealing and also organize the fishing spawning locations and have designated fish locations.
Pond description:
The pond is about 2.5 acres. It constantly is rising and falling depending on our rain which in Florida happens all the time. The shoreline has a 5ft-10ft shoreline of grass/weeds and about 3ft of algae surrounding the entire pond. On the south and east side of the pond is a fence line that has submerged posts. (The east side also has 7ft grass) The entire pond fishes quite well, however in two distinct areas the fish are abundant. The entire northwest corner has vegetation that Bluegill are always at. The fence line are where the Bass are located. (catfish are everywhere). There's a "finger" on the north side of the pond covered with weeds. In the summer time the fish have yellow spots, are these worms?
What I would like to do with the pond:
• Add structures for more organized fish habitat. • Make the "finger" longer and solid to walk across to fish further in the pond. • Remove the algae. • Make the entire west side a shear drop off with rock formation cliffside. • Plant cypress trees around the pond. • Seed the pond with lilly pads to create cool areas and structure.
With the description of the pond, will adding and removing what I listed above destroy the pond or make it better? Is there anything I shouldn't do that is listed above? Also, is there more I should do to get the results I'm looking for?
I have attached 3 pictures of the pond. Two are aerial shots and one at ground level.
Thank you so much and I look forward to your replies!
Structure is OK as long as you don't overdo it and scatter the fish too much.
I like the cypress tree idea.
How much algae do you really have in the summer? Is it a real problem? Three ft. sounds like a pretty good deal for small fish. The small fish and bugs that they eat on like and need the cover as long as it isn't a problem. Some tilapia might help that and provide groceries for all of the fish.
How big are the catfish? You might want to remove some of them. Once they get to 3 or 4 pounds, they are a/the top predator.
Not sure about the finger. Will it wash away?
Creating the deep drop off with rock sides sounds like a cool idea. What will it do for you?
I'd think about the lily pads. Those things can get invasive.
What are conditions of the fish? Assuming bigger bass are your objective, what is their body condition? Is their weight/length ratio good? Go to lakework.com to get a LW ratio chart or look in the archives here. Even more important, what is the forage status? Take some time to determine the predator/prey relationship.
Why are bass hanging out in one place and the groceries in another?
Before doing anything, I would take some time to learn a lot more about the pond. Keep a log of fish caught and observations. This is a real key. A month of fishing might not be enough time to properly understand all of the contributing factors.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
In the summer time the algae for the most part stays the same. Its more broken up rather than surrounding the shoreline.
The average catfish in the pond is about 16 inches. Of the month fishing, I've caught a total of 7 Catfish to over 100 Bluegill and 5 Bass. Most of course were released.
There was an original finger built there and it lasted about 15 years. This time I may add support with stone.
I was thinking the rock "cliff" edge would serve mostly as a lounge area to one day have a shelter for family gatherings. Maybe the rocks could attract bass?
All of the fish are darker than normal, my assumption is because of the quality of the pond. The bass look proportionate to any other bass I've seen. Ranging from 4lb-7lb. There is minnows/prey fish everywhere the grassy areas of the pond. Would the bass hang out on the back end because the only structure I have in the pond are the fence posts?
One thing that I have noticed is that 90% of all the Bluegill caught are about 4"-6". Its uncommon to catch one thats a keeper. I've quit keeping them because I wanted to understand what was going on before I kept the wrong thing, if that makes sense?
The bass size of 4 to 7 lbs are most likely eating the larger BG. A bass needs forage that is 1/4 to 1/3 its body length to thrive. It's a matter of calories obtained vs energy expended. At some point, the 7 lb bass will fail to thrive on 3 to 4 inch BG. I'll bet they are also eating smaller bass that feed on the smaller BG.
Rocks, like other structure, will certainly attract and hold bass. I personally like the idea of structure that goes from deep to shallow water. it creates a fish highway. Most creature prefer to hang out on and follow structure of some kind.
I'll bet that you have some larger cats.
Good idea on not messing with the BG. They are the backbone of the pond.
Dark colored fish are USUALLY an indication of super clear water. That might indicate a lack of phytoplankton but I know very little about Florida water.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
lol I hear everyone else trying to get MORE algae for fish growth. and Dave reminds me of that old F&S photo where one bass tried to eat another of his same size!
