Breeding season here rapping up. I presume becuase of interaction between photoperiod and temperature. I have had late spawns when pond chilled by introduction of well water.
Breeding season here rapping up. I presume becuase of interaction between photoperiod and temperature. I have had late spawns when pond chilled by introduction of well water.
Thanks,this would be a brand new pond.Would that matter?
I put my FHM into the pond in late summer. I think it was September. I threw in several pallets for them to lay eggs under. I'm not sure they spawned that summer, but the next spring there were clouds of them. I still have really large schools of them. Everything is working on them, so the numbers are down, but they are hanging in there. The water looked like mud when I put them in. They did fine. I don't think they were all that expensive either. I followed the instructions from the guy I bought them from. Four bags that I had sitting in the water to come to temp for quite a while, then slowly mixed in the ugly pond water. I didn't see a single floater.
Looked back through pics. First big rain on the brand new, just completed, pond was Sept 10 2014. My guess is, I stocked the FHM shortly after that.
Last edited by SetterGuy; 07/29/1709:55 AM.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
At last,they dropped off the first dozer today and should be out Monday with the other and get started on my pond.It's been a long road to get a pond built but it looks like it's finaly getting shorter.lol!
Wow Bob. It's been a long road but it sounds like it's finally happening. Hopefully we'll get some long soaking rains after you get done and get it all seeded. If you have any delays on getting the grass to take you can use winter wheat pretty late in the year and get something to hold the soil until next spring. That stuff can practically sprout on a cue ball. Good luck & post some pictures.
East Central Missouri 1 1/4 acre pond, build fall 2011 1/8 acre baitfish pond build fall 2022
Yep.. I used the winter wheat as well. Added bonus was that the turkeys were all over it the next summer.. Came right up, and provided good cover for the fescue. Bob, glad you are getting started. Good luck with the contractor, and hoping you find good clay the whole way. Jeff
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Thanks Guys!I plan to pick up some seed soon as they are done.I'm hoping that I'm hitting things at the right time.Still going to be warm for a fair while get,but late enough in the year that most of the real hot weather should be over and the fall rains coming.
It rained a little here yesterday so he didn't get a lot done.He brought the 2nd dozer out later in the day and did a few hours of clearing and cleaning things up so he could shoot the grade today and find his water line.He should then be able to finish clearing and cleaning things up and start stripping the top soil.I took pictures yesterday and plan to take some every day they work and will try to post some soon.
Bob, we had almost three inches here in St Louis the other day. Naturally, only a half inch up at the farm. Hope you didn't get that much! Hope the construction is going well. Jeff
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
Thanks SetterGuy,I did get about 3" of rain here. Which my dirt was so dry that I think he wanted some,but not 3".lol!We got off to a slow start with the rain and one of the dozers broke right off the bat and was down for 2 days but things seem to be going good now. Yesterday they finished cutting the key way and started building the dam. They also built a small sediment pond.I think they wanted to hold back some of the water if it rains.
Thanks Rainman!They got rained out again today but I would think they should be done by the end of the week.They have about 6' to go on the dam.One of the guys said he thinks it will end up being over 20' deep.
I know it goes against most of what I've read,but they are using a dozer.He has a sheepsfoot but said do to the steepness and the amount of rock,it wouldn't be worth using,and that he would toe it in with a dozer.He said that's the way he does most of them and claims that built more than 50.A friend of mine's friend had him build 2 ponds and a member here had him build one and said he was happy with it and that he didn't use a sheepsfoot on his.I bought Mike Otto's book and he says a dozer is ok as long as you know how to do it,so I went with it.One of his guys said they fill the bucket and raise it up so it puts the weight on the front of the tracks and that they do 6" lifts with many passes.I watched them a little and it looked like less than 6" lifts to me.
When my pond was redone in August 2015, I was not on pond boss forums, and it was only compacted using a dozer. I lose from 3/4 to one inch of water per day due to seepage. I attribute it mostly to poor compaction. I hope you don't suffer the same. I am on my second water pump now due to having to keep up with the leaks with supplemental water. It's a hassle, and not worth it long term.
The core isn't steep,the sides of the ravine are steep and it's very narrow.I don't think you could say that any of the bottom of it was really level.About 20' or so wide at the bottom wasn't to bad but it is pretty much to hills meeting each other at the bottom.He said that the narrowness and steepness combination would make it hard to use a sheepsfoot.He also said that the amount of rock in it would make it harder to use the sheepsfoot but it would make it easier to pack using a dozer.He said he would try to use a sheepsfoot but it would cost me more money and that he thought it would be a waste of my money. Trust me,I worry about it and hope he knows what he is doing.He seems to and came highly recommended.He is the most experienced I could find with over a year of looking.As I said before,Mike Otto said in his book that a dozer will work if done right,so I went for it.I hope Mike Otto knows what he is talking about,but I really really really hope my guy knows what he is talking about.lol!
The wet summer we have had will help a dozer pack the soil. damp/wet soil packs a lot better than dry. Literature says the moisture level is very important.