Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations thinking of buying a pond

what things should i beware of etc i AM a fisherman that is new to all this stuff

Your best bet is READ as much on this forum as you can.

First and foremost, make sure the pond is well constructed. Check all around for signs of leaking...past or present. Look for trees and/or brush on the dam. Large trees can be a problem to the integrity of the dam and small trees and brush should be removed. Check for signs of animal damage...nutria, beaver, or otters, etc. Look for holes in the dam just below the water line. Check the spillway system or pipe system if it has one to determine the condition.

Check that it has adequate run-off to feed the pond and also that it does not in any way endanger someone downstream from you.

After checking the structure, then check out the bottom of the pond, if you can...determine how much muck is present and if resulting water depths are adequate for your needs and weather conditions.

Finally check out the fish...but you can change the fish and fix any problems that may be present with over/under stocking, etc. much easier than you can fix a serious structural problem.

Define your goals. What are you looking for in a pond? Catching some bluegills is a lot different than raising a double digit bass.

I am looking to have a fun fishing pond for my kid and family. The pond already has bass, red ears and tilapia. also I believe the previous owner stock channel and blue I believe. should I use the feeder he has set up , and iof soo any good food recommendations?
thanks
greg

I will add ,since it seems the pond had been stocked, to contact the previous owner if you have not already and find records of stockings, water trends and feed rate/feed used. The pond may already be ballanced and adding improper fish may hinder that. First and formost do as ML stated earlier inspect the pond first. Come back and visit us with anything you come up with and you will find you stand to gain alot of knowledge here.

Welcome aboard..........

Aaron

ML, this made think back when I bought my place. I met the realtor at his office in Centerville and said hop in his truck,. I went to put my fishing rod in the back with him looking with a big ? I told him, no way was I spending $$$$ and not know if the lake had any fish.
Bob

bmccreight,

The first property I ever bought, more years ago than I care to say, had a nice pond on it...my only interest was if it had fish in it.

I hope I've learned something over the years and one of them would be that fish are easier to fix than a pond that has serious structural problems.

A lot to be said for that. With this forum and lots of people like you, I have learned many a thing.
Bob

How big is the pond? Where is it located?

I see you are from Cowtown so I assume you have purchased rural property. We are a little short on urban stock tanks.

Your goals need to be a little clearer. Fun fishing can be considered raising a double digit bass or 2; perch jerking for the kids, fun of watching cats feed, etc. Size and location play a big part in advice. How long has it been stocked, etc.? Do you just want to meet your goals or are you really committed? It makes a lot of difference. No matter what you do, it ain't cheap and it is a mistake to lie to your wife about the costs. You'll get caught sooner or later.

I would say to use the feeder and I like Purina or Aquamax(made by Purina). Make sure it isn't over a couple of months old because the oils can deteriorate out of it. Marshall Grain carries Purina.

My biggest recommendation would be to buy Lusks book "Raising Trophy Bass" and subscribing to the magazine. You can download a copy on the home page.

BTW, you said bass, redears, tilapia and catfish. Check on bluegill from the previous owner. They are the real base of the food chain. Redears only spawn once per year and tilapia die at 54 degrees water temp. However, the bass have to eat all year and they need bluegill.

You really need to ask when it was stocked, what was put in, how many of each, sizes stocked of each fish, etc. Was it fertilized? Ask about the total history of the pond and take careful notes. You will be glad you did.

I am going to be closing on the property in the next 2 days and was wondering if there is a list of questions I should ask about the pond. I figured if you guys told me what to ask , I could asnswer any questions for myself.

I checked and he said no blue gill just 600 redear and 200 tilapia
I will go out this week and get some pics for you guys and see what you think
thanks a ton

FMcBP, Sorry no one posted sooner. Hope the purchase went well. Probably not a whole lot to be gained as far as stocking at this time - although the same fish that you don't buy now, will be more expensive in the spring (sounds wierd to me too).
Good luck and please post those pictures.

well I got to do a lil fishing and I was impressed ...all the bass I caught were fat and beautiful dark with nice lines. the reanged between 2-5 lbs. I tank is very low right now. I did see alot of panfish and bass(clear water). I saw were the previous owner stocked catfish but I still havent been able to catch any, maybe just my old catfish baits..thinking of hitting it with some livers and see if I can catch a kitty.I forgot to bring my camera so it will be a few more days before I can get back out

Well I finally remembered to bring my camera and got a few pics snap. The pond is around 5 feet low but doing good.

Fancy,

Looks like you still have lots of water...that certainly is a good sign for your pond in one of the worst droughts in the history of Texas. Did you happen to notice any dead Tilapia? If you saw some and they were only very large Tilapia, then that is an indicator of a healthy predator population (LMB or others). If you see lots of small dead Tilapia, then you probably do not have enough fish predators(again speaking of LMB or whatever predator you prefer).

For fish food, I would look at the protein percentage and what source the protein comes from. Here at the hatchery, we use a 45% protein pellet with a fish oil source. Some manufactures will substitute soy when fish oil prices increase. I would recommend Silver Cup. It is a little more expensive, but we have tremendous growth on our trout and other fish.
Robert
Keystone Hatcheries

I agree with RBurke, when hatcheries want the best production and when they have deadlines to meet size limits for orders they rely on Silver Cup feeds to do the job. The main problem is Silver Cup feeds are hard buy locally in small qualities.

I used Silver Cup product for three years and I loved it. The only problem was, as Bill stated, it was difficult (impossible) to buy locally and the shipping costs brought the cost of the product up to $.77/lb. which was pretty high.

Purina dealers can special a line of high protein AquaMax fish diets. http://www.aquaculturemag.com/siteenglish/interneted/products/pdfs/PURNIA1.PDF

I know a lot of the forum members are using aquamax, and I've used it in the past as well. Expect to pay around $.50 per lb for high protein content.

By the way, where is that pond located? Looks like the area north of ft.worth.

Actually it is just down the road from you guys (overton fisheries) It is In Richland, texas. The previous owner bought the tilapia from you guys last feb. I am hoping to get a consultation in the spring. I did see dead tilapia only a few , there were 2 small dead and 3-4 bigger dead.

Todd, seeing you on this post, I want to ask when we should place an order for tilapia this comming year. I want 50 pounds and I can send you a deposit or just pay you, so I do not miss out. They seemed the hottest forage fish in 05, and you sold them as fast as you got them. I am 14 miles from your farm. Any rain in the last 2 weeks? Let me know about when we should order.
Bob