Hello, new guy here. I introduced myself in the other forum.

We own property in Edna, Tx which is primarily used for deer hunting and cattle. There are 4 ponds/stock tanks on it, one of which I am wanting to create a LMB fishery. This is the largest of the 4 tanks. After talking to some neighbors and old farmers in the area, I found out that it was dug in the 1930's as part of a government program that was doing public works projects to help people recover from the depression. Pretty cool! It is roughly 1.6 acres and I am being told was initially dug to 12-14 feet deep. Im sure it has silted in some over the years but Im taking a boat to probe around this weekend and record actual depths. The water is muddy, not sure on visibility but will check this weekend. It has a large open main body with a couple shallower slews branching off. I am going to set a couple trotlines this weekend and do a survey of what fish are in there. The previous owner may have put some catfish in there that were caught in the nearby river. I have fished it, but not hard. We caught nothing on lures, and some kind of perch and a couple mud cats on bait.

My goal for this pond is to create excellent LMB fishing, along with possibly some BG or SF or something for the smaller kids. I would really like to grow some trophy bass in the 6+ lb range. We will C&R, and only remove fish when necessary to sustain a healthy population. Not really interested in catfish, as I am reading that you should pick one or the other (bass or catfish).

So where do I start? I am just beginning to do research and trying to educate myself on this stuff, because I dont know much about managing a stock tank/pond. Obviously I need to find out what fish are already in there. Is there another way to do this besides trotlines? I suspect there will be plenty of non desirable species in there. Do I kill off everything and start fresh? Anything I can do about the water clarity? I am fully prepared to spend time, sweat, and some money to get this right. I just need some guidance as to what steps to take to accomplish my goals for this pond. I am hoping yall can help me with this. My son and I are very excited to get started. We realize this will take time, but we are prepared to put in the work.

Thanks in advance for any help and suggestion yall can offer.