Hello everybody:
I am subscriber to Pond Boss Magazine and I have been reading this forum for the last few weeks. I have met Cecil Baird 1 and Rainman - by phone � and they were very kind to me and shared their wisdom. My ponds are in NW Indiana. Both are new and approximately 1 acre large and up to 14 feet deep. Both are fed from ground water, which is not unusual for NW Indiana ponds. But they therefore fluctuate in depth � 6 feet this year alone. Both ponds are made mostly of sand with some clay and gravel. Also both ponds will have air diffusers powered by windmills and/or Koenders EL compressors, all supplied by Superior Windmill in Regina, Canada.
My goal with these ponds is the following:
Swimming for the kids
Providing dinner for the family
Making a dent in the mosquito population
I am not interested in:
Hands-on pond management
Trophy fish
Catch & release
I have come up with the following stocking plan for each pond:
Spring 2010:
Farm Raised Fathead Minnows (5lb)
Golden Shiner (25lb)
Redear Sunfish (50)
Fall 2010:
Smallmouth Bass (100)
I know that I will have to build some gravel nests so that the smallmouth bass will be able to reproduce.
I was planning to buy the fish from Keystone Hatcheries in Richmond, IL. But it seems that they will not be delivering to Indiana in 2010.
Here are my questions for all the experienced smallmouth bass pond owners & managers:
Do I have the right stocking plan for my goals?
Any suggestions how to reach my goals in a more efficient manner?
Did I forget something?
And the most important question:
As I will not be able to get the fish delivered from Keystone Hatcheries, where should I order the fish from? Which hatcheries are trustworthy?
All competent advice and suggestions are most welcome.
Thank you very much.
Regards,
FRIZ
