Originally dug in the 1920's using mules and a scraper, the original tank was about .3 acres and about 8' deep. Even back in the 1970's when I was a kid fascinated by fishing, the fishing was good. I'd fill a stringer with perch (sunfish of all types), and bass. Recently when I built a dock, I noticed that the depth was about 3' deep with the rest being silt and sludge. A "friend" of the family planted water lillies and they grew out of control. In the past two years, they were so thick you couldn't fish at all so it was time to renovate.

Beginning last Friday, two guys with D-7's showed up. First they pumped it dry. Then they pulled the muck out and then they reshaped it. I must say that I am pleased. So right now I have a big hole in the ground. A blank canvass to paint on. I began extending the dock today. Already 16' long, it is now 20' long and the new part concreted in.

The berm was built up considerably. I am very happy with the quality of work.

So now, before the rain fills it in, I would like to consider a few experiments. Using tires and rubble for structure is nice, but I hate to lose a $4 lure when it snags on a tire. So I have a bunch of porcelain toilets. If a hook hits it, it slides right off (or so the theory is...).

Also, to keep it from silting so badly, is it advisable to cut a small berm a few feet below the waterline? That theory is that it catches the muck before it hits the bottom and when the tank is drawn down, I can use the front end loader or the small dozer (D3)to clean it out.

Ultimately, watering livestock is important, but I also would like to fish too. I have a 2 year old boy who will be about the right age when the fish are ready to bite.

The weather here varies from really wet years (40" per year) to really dry like this year (<15" in '08).

TANK 2:
Immediately upon finishing tank 1, they got busy with tank 2. It is small and always has been. The fishing has never been great either. It maybe was about .2 acres, long and narrow. It will still be long and narrow but hopefully with some excavation, we can make it longer, a bit deeper than its present 5' and I hope to make it a catfish-only pond.

So- if I stock catfish, do I have to feed or can they forage for themselves? Any opinions regarding stocking c cats or humpback blues in the coastal bend of Texas? Any recommended hatcheries? There is one just 3 miles down the road, but when I priced them a few years ago, it was cheaper (gas included) to drive to a town 60 miles away and buy from a guy than to buy from the guy a few miles away.

On the larger pond, I plan on stocking bass, bluegill and redears as per TAMU stocking recommendations.

I'll post pics tomorrow of what we've done thus far.