Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Non managed pond ten pound bass?

A gravel pit near me up here only had norther pike in it. Put anything white or silver in that pond and you had a pike every cast. From 3 pound to magic marker size.

New owner of the pond added large mouth bass to the pond. I have never seen bass grow so fast in all my life.

Absolutely awesome! Not sure what you mean about arguing. I didn't take it that way at all. Hope you understand I was just relaying my buddy's experience in a small pond unmanaged in Illinois. He catches nice fat fish but not many. Seems his pond achieved a balance with a few large fish supported by he doesn't know what for forage.

All,
Here's the biggest factor in South Texas. Tim K is correct when he says that area can grow some huge fish.
What happens is those ponds are in an arid, desert-like environment. That 15 acre "pond" may only be that big when a tropical storm or another event brings big rains. Then, over a few years, that 15 acre lake evaporates to 3 acres. Then, it does it again. As those lakes draw down, only the best of the best survive, and those bass can grow huge. Then, here comes another rain, the water expands into "new" habitat and the food chain explodes. Then, the water draws down, fish become more confined and bass growth is excellent. That's a common pattern in that part of the world. I've worked that area since 1983 and have seen it over and over and over.
Another note, there's few watersheds there that HAVEN'T been stocked with Florida genetics.

That is exactly what happens in these ponds I have fished down south over many years. Drought comes and they draw down - then rain comes and they refill. I have seen from 3 acre to 15 acre ponds produce some great bass - and in pretty high numbers too.

South Texas is an amazing place - on the surface looks almost sterile but it is the most fertile place there is - wildlife is abundant

Interesting observation Bob.

My main pond has a limited and marginal watershed. At least limited to the point that already through moderate droughts has had water drawdown of 18" or so below full pool.

Of course, from an aesthetic point, I would rather not see this happen and I have considered it one of the somewhat failings of the original design. Now 18" drawdown is nothing compared to south Texas, and my surface area only drops marginally,and I understand I likely am comparing apples with oranges.

But your explanation gives me pause to think that occasional drawdowns may not be all bad. I have noticed that with the water low my limited vegetative borders become nonexistant and the small fish go from limited cover to no cover around the edge (although I do have lots of artificial cover within the pond). So what I was concerned with may not be all that bad of thing. We get lots of rain here (average 42" per year) so it is never an issue of the pond not refilling. On the contrary it is not unusual to get a foot of that 42" in a couple rains in a 48 hour period...........way too much rain and the reason emergency spillways get used more often than we would like.

Point is, your description makes me think rather than being disappointed when I see my pond drop in a drouht, just look at as an opportunity to manage in such a way to take advantage of it. Make lemonade out of the lemons.

Snrub, the last 2 years have been the worst we've ever had for aquatic weeds, and it just so happens we've also had historic amounts of rain during that same period. Our big pond stayed almost at full pool for those same 2 years.

I certainly don't want another drought, but I sure wouldn't mind a foot or two drop every summer.

".... but I sure wouldn't mind a foot or two drop every summer."


Or a foot or two off your waistline, but who's counting???


edit: had the replace 'the' with 'your' so it stings more......

I'll bet I can trim a foot or two off my waist, easier than you can grow a foot or two taller.

You miss me, don't you?

Drawdowns have been used for years as an intentional method of lake management by Fisheries Scientists especially on large lakes. Forage concentration , weed management , shore/dam construction/maintaince , habitat reintroduction and population adjustment are all valid reasons.

If a person had one of those water control level structures, and was confident the rain being predicted in a few weeks would materialize, a person could drop the water for a few weeks. Not knowing when the next significant rain is coming could be problematic though.

Exactly. I have thought about drawing down my pond to prevent any spring flooding and losing my soon-to-be-stocked fish. But I never know when I will get that water back. We just got out of one of the worst droughts ever recorded in Texas last year and you never know when the next one is going to hit.

the pond I now have at my home has a well on it that I can pump water into. My plan is to let it go down during the summer for a few weeks and then fill it back up with my pump from well -

Be sure to consider the DO effects with low water during summer.

I've spent lots of time in south Texas. It's amazing to me to see the different methods to build ponds in different parts of the nation. Until a few years ago, most south Texas ponds and lakes were built by excavating to hard clay, then building a dam by moving dirt the shortest distance possible. There's almost always a deep borrow pit adjacent to the dam, then water backed up onto natural ground as far back as they can get it, in the brush. Years ago, some of the ranchers or the lessors (hunting leases) would cut the brush in lanes where they knew water would eventually sit...so they could access in a boat. Those are the lakes/ponds which can grow some big bass, fast. While a particular lake might be considered a pool level of 10 acres, there are times it can sit at double that size, or half. Those lakes grow some really good fish...unless the drought lasts more than 4-5 years. Then, the equation changes.

By the way, people in the south, especially Texas, call sunfish "perch", similar to our northern friends calling a bass a "green carp". Colloquial. It's pretty entertaining to figure out the local names for different fish. Chinquapin perch, sacalait, rock bass, goggle-eye, there are many more.

Bob, We in SE La. called sunfish "perch" as well but also called LMB green "trout" and RES "lake runners".