bstone - the advice here is not biased nor trying to sell you anything. Advice here comes from very knowledgeable and experienced pond owners and professional pond managers. When you provide a definitive goal for the fishery, we can then provide information and options for you to make some wise and important decisions.to achieve your goals. Pond management is not just about adding the right fish. Most importantly the long term quality of the fishery is about wise and proper management of the fish that were stocked. Important topics are: 1. food chain mgmt, 2, water quality aka Happy Water, 3, the proper amount of managed habitat, and 4, the correct harvest to keep the fish growing well at the correct balance of numbers comprising the carrying capacity and standing crop.
Note- You have good diversity of structures. However I think a lot of the habitat you installed tended to be IMO too spread out - separate units. Good habitat in my concept is more grouped together similar to natural large areas of weed beds or shorelines of fallen wood - trees. Placement of your structure is more focused on fish attractors as separate structures rather than groupings or cities of connected structures together that imitate refuge areas such as weed beds to better improve production and increase standing crop while also attracting fish. Weed beds are in most cases the best overall productive habitats in lakes.
I appreciate the comments, thank you!
I might be able to still move some of the structure in the spawning area, as your comments make sense.
I appreciate the advice.
