Over the years I have been a die - hard pond boss lurker and sometimes poster. I cannot thank you guys enough for all the advice and debates that have helped me build my new pond. My first pond was dug by a local contractor that worked for the soil and conservation department. I had no idea what I really wanted and ultimately didn�t like what I got. I stocked my first pond with FH minnows, HBG, HBSB and F-1 Florida LMB hell I even bought way to many CC. Threw in a few crappie etc.I have fed and aerated my pond from day one and although have had some bumps in the road I have some truly monster fish from a small pond be it out of balance as it is. I supplement my predator food with 7 to 10 pounds of bull minnows a month during warm weather and my bass both LM and HBSB have thrived. Not sure if it is unusual but I regularly shoot channel cat fish over 15lbs this from a 5 year old pond. My BG are way out of whack I have a few very large if not huge true BG and a lot of GSF/BG mutants. I am lacking enough forage bases to carry the pond and if it wasn�t for supplemental feeding things would be bad! My pond has had issues holding water due to 3 years of drought and the basic lack of design. I have to spray a few times a year for FA and I use pond dye to help (and it works for me) but it was time to dig a new farm pond.
As you may have seen from my earlier post I built this pond with a liner, and had a 4in well installed with 18gmp pump. I am hoping what it lacks in size (50x110 7ft over all depth) It will make up in style and personality! I want to be a control freak on this pond. I want a trophy BG pond with a few very large bass but the pond MUST BE pleasing to the eye! I hope to control all aquatic plants in containers, water quality, and most of all fish quality. I did not cover the bottom of the pond with back fill yet as I was afraid of tearing the liner. I plain to wash gravel and sand into the pond from shore with a fire hose and I stacked the sides of the pond with sand and hope nature and gravity will help me with the process. On the shallow end of the pond I hope to get a 6 to 12in gravel bed for my BG to bed in. At first I wanted to swale all of the property to drain into this pond I have since changed my mind and do not WANT ANY WATER SHED into this pond thus the well. I am on the boat right now and have not seen the pond in 7days I put the last bucket of dirt on the berm crew change night and turned on the well and started filling. My wife tells me the pond is at half pool and so far she says it looks fantastic! She has been running the well 8 to 12 hours a day and it has RAINED every day! Wife tells me the sand piles on the bank have run into the pond and the banks have stabilized at about 6in thick. Not sure where to go next or how to get there, but one thing is for sure from this point on I will be patient and I will ASK THE BOSS FIRST! As soon as I get home I will post good pics and start asking questions and sharing my mistakes and success with you all. The first question? How long should it take for the water to clear and should I fertilize and run aeration now? How long until I can stock BG? Thank you all, my dream pond was much bigger and deeper but my wallet was smaller and shallow but I am pleased with my new pond and the fact we did it our selves with pond boss help!
