Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Best Comprehensive Resources for Pond-Building

Hi Folks,

My wife and I have decided to wait and save money for 2-3 years to get land and build a pond, so we can really get a big chunk in an ideal location and spare no expense when building a pond. We are going to build a 2-3 acre pond and design it or have it designed to maximize the output of crappie and smallmouth bass.

We will build on wooded land, leaving the trees surrounding them to provide shade and prevent muddying of the water through runoff, will place lots of artificial habitat (the stuff from The Pond Guy looks great), and want it to be a great private fishery in an area that has abysmal fishing, though we may want it to have some areas where our kids can swim.

Although I am disappointed that it will be a bit before I can do any even half-decent fishing near home, I have decided to take these 2-3 years to learn in great detail everything I can about building a pond. This includes everything like selecting a site, clearing, designing the dam and bottom contours, digging, building the dam, excavating the bottom, lining (if necessary, though I think the soil in northern Virginia has a good bit of clay in it), placing structure, building a fixed dock, creating spawning habitat (lots of gravel and spawning discs), and monitoring the water.

I want to have, by the time I can move forward with building the pond, as much book-acquired knowledge as the best pond contractor. I know there is no way I can gain the practical, hands-on knowledge without working hard in the industry for quite a while, but I want to get all the textbook training I can.

My question is, aside from the obvious stack of Pond Boss back issues I have, what are the best resources I can purchase or consult to learn everything in as much detail I can about all aspects of designing and building a pond. Any books, textbooks, online publications, or anything are welcome!

Thanks!

Here are two good books to start: Just Add Water and Perfect Pond..Want One?

Thanks, Doc! I've already ordered my copies.

I like your outlook on educating yourself prior to just jumping in.

Add another one. Small Impoundment Management in North America by Wes Neal and Dave Willis. Since it is a textbook, it is more expensive but dang sure worth it. It has a lot of chapters by other experts including Lusk and Otto.

The best entry level book, and the first one I bought, is Raising Trophy Bass by Lusk.

Invaluable stuff can be found in the Monthly Pond Boss magazine.

Every dang one of these are less expensive than one small mistake in either dam building, stocking and/or managing.

An important thing that I have found is that there are regional differences in stocking and managing.

You might want to educate yourself on the pros and cons of having crappie in an impoundment of less than 25 acres. Lots of discussion on this forum about this particular topic.

Thanks, and I am well aware of the inherent problems with crappie in a small impoundment; I am the OP on many of the posts about crappie management to which you refer.

Basically, I am doing all the research I can on this, because I am just plain not interested in any other species. If I could get away with a true single-species crappie pond, I would go with that, but I recognize I need an apex predator to keep them in check, and so I am going with smallmouth.

The challenges with crappie are one reason I am trying to become as educated as possible on the topic, but I am quite determined to make the pond primarily for crappie, from which my family will harvest and eat a very large number.