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Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 11
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OP
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 11 |
Hello all, been lurking for a few days reading a lot! Awesome site here with lots on info! Believe this would be the right place for these questions cause its a lot of them.
Well to sum it up, I just got this new to me pond, been dug for around 6-7 years and do not know where to start. To summarize the pond its .50 acre, kidney shaped. Have not gotten into it yet, but does not look to have much of habitat for the fish, 3 small cypress trees, and some log out in the middle don't even know yet if it goes to the bottom. There is hardly any run off from the yard it has a slight levee around it and gets filled with a water well if needed. From what I was told 4ft shelf all around the rest is about 6-7 ft and one little section about 10-12 foot. The pond is very muddy first guess is from catfish but don't know cause we have not caught any. Caught one small bass (while bream fishing) and some small bream or sunfish 3-5 inch fish. Pond was stocked before with bream, bass, and catfish guessing when they first dug pond. I just ordered me a minnow seine to try and seine in some fish to see what's in there. I throw fish food and the only thing that really eats it is the minnows! I have bass fished the pond hours and a bunch of days and nothing not even a bite. Go right next door to the neighbors and snag 3-4 bass in no time.
Im looking for a good bream and bass pond not any trophy size fish just some good fun. Im debating on making it a little bigger, mostly for the dirt but also I could drain most of pond and kinda start from scratch. But not sure that's gonna happen. Would like to try and get it cleared up and start building places for these fish to live around, maybe fertilize if needed? Add aerator or maybe even just a fountain? If over stocked with little sunfish should I try adding 50 lmb? Just not sure were to start...
Thanks in advance for any input!
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 977 Likes: 1
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 977 Likes: 1 |
Randall27,
Welcome to Pond Boss......Tons of good info and helpful folks here. I have a pond of similar size and shape in SE Texas. Sounds like an exciting time for you. I'd start out by getting my water quality checked. I'd check for pH, Hardness, and alkalinity firstly. In what part of the state are you? If you are up in the piney woods, the water/soil can tend to get a bit acidy from the pines. Don't expect miracles overnight. Patience is a virtue with a pond. Enjoy the ride....read this forum, and ask a lot of questions. I don't think you will come across a problem that the pro's on the forum can't resolve.
Charlie
...when in doubt...set the hook...
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Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 11
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OP
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 11 |
From around Lafayette area, no piney trees around me, few oaks on the backside of pond but not right on top of it. There is some cat tails growing in the pond also. I know how to check PH, but hardness and alkalinity are new to me. How do I get this done? And what am I looking for?
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 977 Likes: 1
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 977 Likes: 1 |
Randall27,
I FedEx a pint sample to a fishery guy not too far from me, but I was told that Petsmart offered the service. Not sure the charge if any. Also, maybe if you contacted the biology dept. at UL, they might help you. Maybe one of the LA guys will chime in and give you some ideas about who in the Lafayette area would help you with that service. You might even call a pool service to direct you.
...when in doubt...set the hook...
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,868 Likes: 301
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,868 Likes: 301 |
R27, if you want a good bream/bass pond of 0.5 acre, you may need to get rid of the catfish. They can muddy the water, and they compete with bass for the same size food.
Catfish and bass can coexist pretty well on large bodies of water, but I get the impression not so much in ponds less than an acre.
7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160
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Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 11
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OP
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 11 |
PH: 8.0
Alkalinity: 74
Calcium Hardness: 71
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,550 Likes: 288
Moderator Hall of Fame 2014  Lunker
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Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,550 Likes: 288 |
Those are good numbers for pond fish. LSU offers both soil and water testing . See the 2 links below. La - state book http://www.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonlyres/...3FarmPonds2.pdf LSU La --- Chemical analysis of pond soils can be conducted at the LSU Agricultural Center Soil Testing Laboratory for a small fee. Soil samples should be delivered to the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service office in your parish for processing. http://www.stpal.lsu.edu/FAQ/fee.aspSoil Test and Plant Analysis Lab School of Plant, Environmental, and Soil Science Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803 Phone: 225-578-1261 Fax: 225-578-1403 E-Mail: stpal@agcenter.lsu.edu Website: www.stpal.lsu.edu
Last edited by ewest; 03/17/16 10:34 AM.
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