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I have 6 ponds that I have access too (grandfather and my fathers land. I am 23 and have fond memories of these ponds. We here in kansas like most of the midwest these days are in the mids of a drought, all but 2 of our ponds have gone completely dry in the past few years. However after 3 years we have water in our spring fed pond and it has been running out the trickle pipe consistently for almost 6 months now.

Little fun fact, I have never caught a fish except from a farm pond!

This is the pond I am most interested in, however I would like advice on them all.

I will refer to it as pond #1.

Pond 1:
Acreage: 1.45 spring fed
Depth: 2ft to 12ft
Stocked with: None currently.


I have fond memories of this pond. Located a short walk from our house in kansas it had ran out the spill pipe for as long as I could remember. Its old, on the order of 50 years and heavily silted in. However funds were not available to clean it out while it sat dry.

As usual it had a bad weed problem being shallow for the majority of the pond except near the dam. We had no grass carp. The occasional channel cat could be caught, however the rest was all hybrid bluegill and northern strain bass. They were stocked the year I was born by my grandfather. A gift me, and the fish could grow into. And boy I loved to fish.

I have the biggest bass we ever caught out of that pond hanging on my wall to this day. 6lbs from a farm pond, I was so happy that day. July, 5th of 2001, I was barely 10.

Id like to restock it but I come across alot of conflicting info.

Dunns has stops close to me, and I will probably use them that is actually what brought me to your forum was researching different fish farms. I dont think I will stock what they recommend though. And I will for sure be weighing/counting my fish, and checking them to be what I ordered and no GSF or other straglers.

I plan on it being mainly a bass and bluegill pond, this time I will add a few grass carp. It will not be fertilised, and will not be fed.

What do you recommend and at what rate? LMB, RES, CNBG, any CC?

Could I stock FH this fall, CNBG this spring, and Bass and CC this fall?

I will post photos after work and describe pond 2 and 3.








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Last edited by DBlackston; 08/29/14 08:32 AM.
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Last edited by DBlackston; 08/28/14 10:40 PM.
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Pond #2
Acreage:1.87
Depth: 2-15ft

This pond for most of my recollection only ever had bullheads. We had a huge bullhead infestation, and at one point in the early 90s my father stocked 15 3# channel.

It wasnt until around 2006 or so that the pond diversity took a drastic change. Tired of catching bass and bluegill from the pond #1 I decided to go see if anything else was available in pond #2 which I had not fished in 2 years.

Much to my suprise on my first cast I pulled out a nice 15" or so bass. Confused I cast again, another bass. Perplexed as to where they were from I asked my dad and soon we were all at the pond fishing. Catching bass after bass after bass.

We returned a few days later and caught something new. Black crappie. My first experience with crappie, man were they fun!

We later found out that a storm the year before had washed out a large number of fish from a neighboor uphills pond. They had rapidly grown in our pond feasting on the hundreds of bullheads.

My question for this pond is what would be good to stock in it if I wanted crappie? I do not eat fish, but love to catch them. I would be willing to cull them in other ways if neccesary besides eating them.

My original idea was possibly to stock this pond with FHM, CNBG, BC,and a decent number of CC to help keep populations down once they reach 3#s or so and then as we cull bass from pond #1 to stock them in this pond.

Any suggestion is welcome.


Sorry its hard to see where the pond actually is due to weeds.










Last edited by DBlackston; 08/29/14 08:55 AM.
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Pond 3
Acreage: 7.26 full, 1.28 currently
Depth: 2-12ft very shallow for 10ft or so around bank.
Stocked: Channel Cat.

This pond has only ever had channel cat. Wondering if I should stock anything as a food source.

We rarely catch anything out of it even though we can regularly see 15 come to the surface when we feed them or rev the engine they come. We have caught some decent fish out of it though.


It is very turbid and never settles out.









Looking south across the pond today


Looking to the south east



Looking to the east




Looking north east


Last edited by DBlackston; 08/30/14 12:23 AM.
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Pond #4
Acreage: 1.69 currently .29
Depth 3-22ft
Stock: Channel cat and LMB

This pond is rapidly going dry and may no tmake it through this summer, definetly not through this winter at this level. It is supplemented by a windmills but I provides barely enough to sustain the pond level.

It has always had LMB and channel. About 15 channel show up to feed on the handful or 2 of feed my grandfather feeds a day.

It has numerous rockpiles, and rock faced dam that the fiah breed in. Channel cat catches have become fewer over the years although the # showing up to eat stays steady.


The water in it is fairly turbid.






Looking up the draw today. This is usually under water except during these drought conditions.



Panoramic of the pond facing north


Last edited by DBlackston; 08/30/14 12:25 AM.
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Ponds 5 and 6 go dry on a fairly regular schedule say every 2-5 years.

I will not be messing with them except for possibly putting culled fish from the other ponds in.

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Im liking ponds 2 and 3! Man if you could now would be the time to dig them up some that's for sure! Plus you got all the room in the world for the extra dirt!

Not sure what I would stock! Man where you are at you can do a lot of things with that 7 acre pond! I would NOT put Crappie in them though.

But you could do WE, LMB, HSB, Even a few Hybrid Muskies! Wow I would have a blast with that pond!

Number 2 pond I would stick with just a nice BG, RES maybe if they would stand the cold and SMB pond.

Make a 3rd pond like you said for culling / throwing stuff in for managing the other ponds.

Wow you got a TON of stuff you could do man!! Be careful all those ponds could suck your wallett dry!!!! smile

RC

Last edited by RC51; 08/29/14 10:55 AM.

The only difference between a rut and a Grave is the depth. So get up get out of that rut and get moving!! Time to work!!
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Pond #2 does have some silt, but it is not very deep maybe 2' of buildup in the center the rest is all still heavy clay bottom.

Pond #3 is the same way. Very little buildup, its seasonally going up and down and every time it does grandpa cleans it out.


What are WE and HSB have not ran across those names before.

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Walleye and Hybrid striped bass

Bookmark this link, you'll probably refer to it a lot.
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92442#Post92442

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Ponds that loose a majority of their area due to drought are problematic ponds for raising fish. Receding water concentrates dissolved chemicals that stress fish. Shrinking volumes into small shallow areas put lots of stresses on fish for survival. One benefit of drawdowns is it helps control weeds and can improve predator-prey balance. Put your sport fish focus on the largest deepest pond. Use smaller ponds to grow forage fish to supplement the natural food in the largest pond. Plan on them winter or summer killing depending on drought and weed problems. Redig, deepen, or rebuild each pond as money becomes available.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 08/29/14 09:13 PM.

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I should clarify on the amount these ponds swell then receed. They are in the midst of a three year drought.

Pond #1 never receeds. These past 3 years drained it completely when the water table dropped and the spring ran dry. That is the first time since 1991 that the pond has drained. This pond I am leaning towards CNBG FH, LMB, RES. Managed for bigger bass.

Pond #2 has not been dry since 1991 except these last three years. It does however seasonally drop, but we are talking a 2-3ft drop on an average year. Considering BC, LMB, CC, FH, CNBG, RES. Managed for an overstocked bass pond, a quantity not size of catch pond where there are a multitude of smaller bass, and larger crappie and bluegill that can be harvested fairly heavily.

Pond #3 is more drastic in its swelling and receeding. It is rather large in comparison to its water shed. It usually varies between the full 7, and 5 acre range. This will most likely stay catfish only, but may restock. Not sure how to determine how to restock it.

Pond #4 is the same way, usually looses 2-5ft a year until spring. Hoowever this pond is much deeper and much steeper. We have caught bass before from it. Would be interested in bass/CNBG in it however the water is rather turbid. I believe the bass and CNBG survive in spite of this.

Last edited by DBlackston; 08/29/14 10:11 PM.
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So what is a good recommendation of stocking for pond #1

Im thinking I would like FHM, RES, CNBG, LMB, GC, and to manage it for larger bass, but still be able to catch bass and bluegill on each outing. I do not eat fish and will be looking for a way to cull fish from my pond.

Dunns say:
10lb of FHM
150 LMB
750 CNBG
200 RES
10 Grass Carp

From what I have researched I think I would like:
10LB FHM
50LMB
750CNBG
200RES
And 3 Grass Carp


My reasons for this would be to establish a good forage base with the Minnows and CNBG with the RES there to control snails, our ponds have been known to have many snails and the fish to have the spots from the parasite.

Their 150LMB stocking rate seems high, I think at 50 it would provide the bass quicker growth on the CNBG and FHM and less of a chance at the LMB overpopulating as soon.

The pond was originally stocked with HBG amd I think this after reading on here was definetly a issue along with my strict catch and release method of the stunting of our fish, I do upon thinking back remember catching less and less BG as the years went on and them being smaller as time went on.

As for the grass carp I think I need to run down to the pond and drag out a sample of the weeds present, post, get an ID and see if the fish would be of service to me. 10 Grass Carp seem like far to many.

Plan would be to stock the FHM ASAP this year. Followed by CNBG this Spring and LMB in the Fall. Should the GC be stocked with the Minnows and BG or with the Bass

Or would it be okay to stock the CNBG and RES this fall? and LMB this coming spring or fall? Worried that 950 sunfish would heavily predate on the FHM but if they had several spawnings before the LMB went in that would be a mute point.

I believe I may throw some pallets in the shallows along the Dam for the FHM to breed in then remove them in a year or two.

I also am going to see if dad will help put some dried Hedge in the pond with me for Bass Cover in the deeper areas.

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You'll want more CNBG if the goal is to manage for large LMB, (which will be hard to do in a small pond, but it can be done!) then stock the forage fish (CNBG) to LMB at a 20:1 - 30:1 (or more) ratio to LMB.

It takes roughly 10# of fish to put 1# of weight on one LMB.

Once the LMB are large enough to breed, (around 12"-14" and in the spring of the year) sight fish for any LMB making or guarding their beds. Remove them. Those are the males, and they won't grow as large as the females. If there are 2 fish on the bed, the larger one is usually the female.

I'd fin clip the orig stocker LMB too. That way in a few years you can tell what fish were the orig. stockers vs. what spawned in the pond. You'll want to stay on top of the LMB after they spawn. I remove every Male that I catch in my pond, and return any of the orig. stocked females.


www.hoosierpondpros.com


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3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).
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That makes alot of sense to sight fish them out.

I will have to track down a thread on how to tell males from females as well as one on how to fin clip.


I have decided against stocking pond #2 with BC thanks to all the warnings I have read in this thread and forum. I will be putting CC in that pond I believe, then putting my culled LMB in that pond after an initial stocking of forage.

I believe my success with crappie in that pond previously was due to them only being there 2-3 years before the drought hit I never experienced the explosion of spawning and subsequent fry.

Would it be benificial to add pea gravwl to these ponds in easy to fish locations to try and entice the fish to spawn in a place easy to sight fish?

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Esshup, I have read some of your threads on your own pond! We have a different opinion of a big fish! I am elated to catch a 5lb bass! The fish you grow and are after are monsters!!!!!!

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Thanks!

Yes, adding pea gravel/1"-3" river rock will help in getting fish to spawn where you want them to, but there's no guarantees!

The only way to reliably sex LMB is during the pre-spawn period. You use a catheter to see if they are males or females. Usually if you see ony one LMB on a bed guarding a nest or making a bed it should be a male.


www.hoosierpondpros.com


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3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).
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I will see about getting some river gravel and some pea gravel placed in the easy to fish places!


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