Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat new pond pics

Thanks!

Rainman, Your pooch is a beautiful big-un!!! They are are great breed but my wife is done (after Emery) sweeping up dog hair. I had to promise, no more German Shedders.

I love those pond pics right before the fill of all the structure and what it looks like under all that water. Nice job.

Omaha, you can always get a honest opinion from children. A 11 year old relative said "I know you won't like this but your pond looks like a junk yard".

I had concerns about erosion filling up my SMB beds with dirt so, I made some sandstone retaining walls above the spawning area. Do you think they will help?

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Your smallies are gonna have the same problem I have at the grocery store.

TOO MANY CHOICES.

Also, TJ, if your fish cant hit your sized beds, they shouldnt be trying to spawn.

Smaller males (10"-12") seem to prefer pea gravel with some coarse sand for nests. As the smallies get larger they can build nests in material composed of larger stones. The larger males have the most successful nests. Nest sites can be cut into the sloping bank/sides, stair step fashion. Nest depression bottom can have a slight slope or be fairly level. Active smallie nests are often at least 25-40 ft apart.

They're only 6'-10' apart. A lot of work for nothing ~a~! Oh well, it's not full of water yet!

Smallie nests that are close together may be effective if there is some sort of visual barrier between the nest so adjacent males cannot see each other or interact. I don't know this for sure but it is worth a try. The unused nests that are close together will still be used by RES or any other nest building fish after the smallies are done spawning. Not all nests are used each year. Thus unused nests may be used in another year by a different male.

As I noted in Part 3 (Smallmouth Bass From Eggs to Fry, Jul-Aug 2009 Pond Boss Mag.), not all male smallies will build nests each year. Often only about 25% of the males will make nests each year. This is probably why commercial production of smallies is limited and fingerlings are more expensive compared to LMB. IMO a one acre smallie pond only needs one successful smallie spawn each year to have adequate numbers of young bass. There are a few smallie 1/3 acre ponds near me that can withstand a removal of at least 20 fingerlings or juveniles each year and still have adequate recruitment and balance. Dr. Dave Willis at SD State Univ. also sees similar situations where smallies often overpopulate and the pond needs to have a regular thinning of numbers to keep populations growing well.

BASF

My nests are close together too...don't sweat it - all you need is one pair and you'll have the potential for plenty of offspring to sustain your population. Besides, being so close to prime SMB fisheries in the great lakes you don't have to worry about supplemental stockings in the future, do you?

Erie has SMB?

From 93 to 05, 3 of us had 2 SMB tournaments a year off of Lorain. We had 3 trophies made up that had to be displayed in your family room at all times. the inscriptions on the 2nd & 3rd place trophies was not flattering! If during a drop by visit, the trophy was not out it cost you double the entry fee the next time. We had a riot! From netting, boat positioning, bait distribution to eating lunch was argued over like 3 old bitties.

Heaviest paid out 1st place and 2nd was most SMB caught. I can't tell you how many times a 5 to 6 pounder would come squirting out of the water 15 feet away from the boat and the other two would be hitting your rod with theirs. It was mosh pit fishing. It was not uncommon to catch 40 to 50 with half of them 4 pounds plus.

Mosh pit fishing....Theo, you need to archive that one - instant classic!

Great story Basf. I can't wait to take a trip up to the big lakes and get into some of those cruiser weight SMB. Sounds like the zebra mussel and gobies have really paid off for some species of fish?