Thanks for the conversation folks!
I am afraid that I have found myself painted into a corner with my pond as I purchased the place with the pond already there. It was severely filled in with silt (8-10 feet thick) and only 2 feet of normal water depth. This pond is up hill from my house and shop and the over flow is carried away by a 15 inch culvert 175 feet long. This culvert is grossly undersized and would have to be a least a few feet in diameter to carry the worst of weather. That size of culvert is not going to happen unless my bank account grows substantially. Once the culvert is overrun, the excess water travels between the house and the shop typically washing the drive out once or twice a year. I have excepted the fact "that's life". The ravine that makes the pond is steep and narrow, I don't think diverting water is even possible without that magic bank account I mentioned.
Before...
Currently...
There is still some fill that needs to come out and the far end needs some work so that I have some shallows where the water comes in.
At any rate, I am crossing my fingers that the pond does not have too many problems. I like the idea that Rainman suggests with a few possible mods...
300 Hybrid Bluegill
30 RES (ARE THESE A NECCESITY?)
30 HSB
5# FHM
5# Golden Shiner
10 CC (still thinking optional)
My list has reduced the numbers for the most part. I feel like I am being conservative so that I can ease into the stocking process BUT maybe that's a mistake? You all tell me. And I believe that my small pond is best suited for growing decent BG-like fish rather than the big bass varieties so I have settled for using the bass as a population control method. The hybrids (read less population growth)
would lend themselves to a catch and release type of pond until the HSB get too large when they could be taken out so that they don't starting eating the medium to large pan fish.
Am I on a decent thought pattern?
