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#635 06/14/04 11:50 PM
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A friend sent me this URl and I am happy he did!

GREAT SITE! I am sure I will be spending some time here. I purchased 162 acers back in 2000 and have been intensly managing it for whitetail deer. The land has 2 beaver ponds, but the only thing it is missing is a good bass fishing lake. Well, we had the NRCS map the placement 3 weeks ago, and I sent the permit application to the Corps 2 weeks back and just waiting for aproval. Looks like we will soon be pushing dirt on our soon to be 2.85 acre lake.

Can't wait! I just signed up for the POND magazine subscription, and I would be open for all suggestions and ideas that some of you more experienced lake owners have been through. We're doing a ram pump from the base (18.5'deep water) at the dam, we're also adding an irrigation hook up line to be used in watering wildlife openings etc. We plan on building bottom structures in selected aeras, doing some bottom trenching for fish to travel, as well as adding some sand and gravel etc. Anything else, I am open for all ideas.

Thanks in advance and I am sure I will be enjoying your site in the future!

early riser


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Thought you might enjoy this Early Riser!

Your timing is good, build the dam now, let the pond fill up this summer, stock fatheads bream and cats late summer and LMB and hybrid stripers next spring.

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the best thing you can do for yourself is , get your hands on everything and anything about ponds and read it. tons of info in old Pond Boss mags and this site. then come to your own conclusions as to what best suits your goals. also who ever is carving the pond , go see his work and talk to the owners , not just one pond. get a written contract on the work to be done. i'm sure Bill be a great help also. nice to have help from somebody who has been there and done that. lol \:\)


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Bill, thanks again for thinking of me and sharing this site. There seems to be some GREAT INFO here!

My issue now is getting a contractor that wants to work. I have had 3 different contractors from the Sparta Georgia aera, come out, walk the peremiters of the water line and so far none have come back with any kind of a quote. It's been going on 3 weeks now. I have already ordered fish to be here in October and I have to get something going on!

Any Georgia lake builders here from around Milledgeville Georgia aera (Sparta, Ga). I have an estimated construction cost given to me by the NRCS, but I whited out all that info in the copies of design I gave to the potential contractors to see where their construction costs came in. So far none have gotten back to me. I am ready to push dirt as soon as the Corps approves the permit!

According to the design by the NRCS we have about 77 acres of drainage coming to the 2.85 acer lake as well as an upper end good spring head that comes up out of the ground in several aeras up site that flows downward to where the lake will be built. I was amazed when the NRCS told me I would potentialy lose 1" of water per acer per day to evaporation. Once we get the lake built and some good rains to fill, I'm hoping the spring feed up stream will account for evaporation drop should we continue with this drought. I still need to check the GPM on the spring lead in to know what I truely am getting from up site.

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Hey eraly riser,
I am doing the very same thing you are but further along. A bit of advice from some one whos been there. Stay on top of that Core permitt, they can be very difficult at times and EXTREEMLY slow.... \:\( . I bought a tract about that size about 30 miles strait up north of you. I have been through the entire process of going through the Core of have to work for it call them often to see where it is.
On contracting work, what are you getting quoted for your dirt moving? I am getting $1.25 per Cubic yard. But on his next projects he is going up. The guy I am using is named Manuel Wheatly, I would bet you could not find a more experianced and more fair person to do the work. I tell he has done an Awsome job on my lake. He has just over a week left to finish the work, and he will be done. It has taken over a month total so far to do the work. My lake, when finished, will be around 30 feet deep and 9 acres in size....

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I can relate to contractors not following up. I called five contractors to put in two additional ponds for my aquaculture venture. One will not return my calls, two never showed up even though they said they would, one got the dimensions all screwed up on the estimate even though I gave them to him on paper and he was way out of line on price, and the one that was the most impressive and punctual did not have any idea what a keyway or core trench was. He said all that was necessary was to scrape the sod off before putting in the levee "because we have plenty of clay in or area." What is it with this occupation?

My last ponds were dug by a contracter that refused to listen to me when I said a core trench under was needed under the levee, and didn't even scrape the sod off when I wasn't around before installing the dike. (He later commented maybe he should have scraped the sod off) Needless to say it seeped until the sod decomposed. This guy has the biggest and best equipment around but showed up about 6 months after he said he would and ignored my suggestions. Needless to say he won't be back.

Actually I'm not difficult although it may sound like it.


If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.






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Early Riser,

I used Mark Roberts from Milledgeville to renovate my 3 acre pond, raise the dam and install a syphon overflow pipe. He did good work and I was pleased.

Frank


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Just a note on contractors. I've posted it before, but I learned a big lesson from it. I got an "estimate" (as opposed to "bid") and that was from a third party (real estate agent) in connection with buying my property. He said that this contractor would "Clean out the pond for $3-5,000". My pond is about 3-4 acres and was dry at the time. Well, the contractor took his time, being paid by the hour and all, and after completing only 1/5th of the project said that he had met the $5,000 mark and needed more money to go any further.

Bottom line, make sure you get a written BID with a reasonable variance allowance. References of course would be good, too, since after griping to anyone who would listen, most people told me "Yup, that sounds like a (so and so) deal to me!"


Shawn

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Hey thanks guys. I would appreciate it if those of you who are local to my aera (Hancock Cty. Sparta Ga.) would offer some phone numbers of the contractor you would recommend.

Big_Pond, I appreciate your and all's advice! So far I only have the quote for moving dirt from the NRCS and they said the going rates were about $2.00/yard. So far I have had 3 different contractors come out to look the site over but noone yet has come back with any quotes . So I have no idea where this will come in at. The other thing is the lake bed is already pretty open because the previous owner had heavy equipment and had alrerady cleared about 2/3 of the lake bed aera, where he himself had planned a pond. I am just following through with what he had planned to do and never got to having it built, so I hope to save some dozier time with a good bit of this already in place.

Big_Pond, ask your contractor if he would be interested in doing (bidding) a 2.85 lake in Hancock Cty, Sparta Ga. It looks like I may need to broaden my search for additional contractors!

The Corps have had the application for permit now for 2 weeks and I have heard nothing. You think I need to be on their phone ?

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Early Riser,

Who did you order your fish from, what types of fish and how many.

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Bill, I ordered the initial stocking from the Georgia Department of Natural resources, Wildlife Resources Division, Fisheries section out of Thomson, Ga.

Used to be we got our fish for stocking for free. Now they charge.

A bream and catfish combination was recommended for ponds 1 acre or larger. This is said to provide bream (80% bluegill and 20% redear sunfish) at the rates of 500 per acre, and bass and channel cats at rates of 50 per acre. The cost was $50.00 per acre of pond.

Should I decide to do a bass pond only, it's same stocking rate and only $20.00 per acre.

I guess I need to do more research on Fla Hybrids, grass carp, other varieties etc: and look for suppliers of those. I am open to what and how you guys suggest my stocking this new pond.

If you haven't already applied for your fall stocking you should do so ASAP. I understand they have cut off dates for filling fall orders.

Here I am with fish already ordered and approved for fall stocking and not a drop of water yet :rolleyes:

I gotta get things on the ball! I also just got off the voice mail of Nick Bagget with the Corps who handles the aera where my lake is to be built (Hancock Cty. Sparta Ga). I see what you mean about having trouble getting permit approval. Hopefully he'll return my call ASAP!

Bill here is a number, if it's not for your aera I am sure they can send you in the right direction. You may be serviced out of Gainesville Ga. 706-595-1619. I had them fax me the fish application, and I just returned the filled out form right back to them PRONTO!

early riser


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early Riser,

You are doing it the cheapest way but not IMO the best way. Couple points, I believe private hatcheries do a much better job than DNR in controling there brood stock and supplies higher quality fish and more species of fish.

DNR sells bluegills as they have for 70 years but most pond consultants in our area now recommend coopernose bream instead. I do not know what type of LMB DNR raises and I doubt they do either.

You are going to spend alot of money on your pond, set your goals and get professional help in stocking your pond!

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Boy, up here if people moved that slow they would be out of business. My pond guy did what he said he would, showed up when he said he would and listened as well as offered many good suggestions. My pond looks exactly like what was in my minds eye when we started the project. That is no easy task up here as we had 2 acres of brush and trees to clear out of the bog before the excavation started. You need t find someone who builds lakes and ponds and not just someone who digs big holes in the ground and hopes they fill with water.

Good Luck.

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early riser

I am going to be just the exact oposite from you. I am going to have this big 9 ac lake built and full of water in a couple of weeks and absolutely no fish in it \:D ...I have not the Foggest idea on how I even plan to stock it. :rolleyes: I guess I have too many fires to fight with the contractor to even think about the fish....I have another week and he should be finished....hopefully. It is costing an arm and a leg..even then I still won't know what I'll do about stocking it, might just wait a year or 2 from now.

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Tuzz,

I only called those that are listed as pond builders. Didn't bother with the others.


If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.






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Just because they claim to be pond builders does not mean a thing. Before I found my guy I talked to many "pond builders" and by dumb luck I did not hire them. My guy really loves his work and can share a vision of the project and what it will be when completed. As I said before a pond is not just a big hole in ther ground that catches water. See your "pond builders" other work and feel comfortable with them personally as they become almost part of the family as you work through the project.

You need to trust each other and though it is a business proposition it must also be mutually benificial or you will both loose in the long run.

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Cecil Baird1

It sound like to me that you need to hire a contractor with just a specific piece of equipment and do each part seperatly and pay each guy as they do ther part....Get a guy with a dozer to clear the land. Then get a guy with a trac-hoe to cut the core, BE OUT THERE WHEN HE CUTS THE CORE, it is very important to be out there on every step when he cuts the core...While the core is being cut you need a dump truck and another excuvator to fill the dump truck with clay. Then you need to Back fill the core as you are digging it out. If not as go down 20 feet the trench could cave on you. You will always need a dozer around to do all the Misc. ends and outs of the job. Once the core is cut and back filled with GOOD clay. You will need to get some cement and a transit to place the stand pipe. Can't be an inch off on this. This will dictate how your water is going to back up. Use the cement to make a base for the pipe, then put wet cement all aound the base of the T of the stand pipe. Let the cement dry and slowly start putting dirt around the pipe. Gradually start building up your dam, use a sheeps foot roller to help in compaction. When the dam is finished the back side will need to be covered with grass seed and hay. Now when you get ready close the gate on the stand pipe and let the lake fill up....

Cecil you might need to guide each of these steps mentioned above to have your project succesfull..... \:\)

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Early Riser,
Send me an email. I'd send you one but you don't have it listed. Thanks.


Hey Moe, I'm trying to think but nuthin's happening!
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early riser,

I agree with Bill Duggan on your initial stocked fish. You will find that the fish are the cheapest part of the project.

I got coppernose bluegill and redears from American Sportfish. I got F1 hybrid largemouth from Greg Grimes (and he got them from American Sport Fish).

Frank


Book Owner and Magazine Subscriber 3 acre pond central GA

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