Thanks everyone for the suggestions. After reading all the great answers, I think I go a smaller expansion but a deeper pond. I try to dig the new area with depths between 8-10 feet. I have small kids so like the rest of my pond, I have the edges shallow with a drop off 3 feet into the pond.
I always wanted a pond but didn't realize I could get a head start by using my own property's dirt for my house pad. With that said, I really didn't have it planned out. At first the excavator driver told me that he would dig me a big hole and push all my plowed up trees in it. Instead, I told him to make a burn pile for the trees and use the hole for a pond. Right now it measures 210 ft long and averages about 40 ft wide at one end and 15 ft wide at the other end. I guessing I am pushing a little less than 1/4 acre. Actually, I didn't realize an acre pond is quite big. From my understanding 660' x 66' foot pond equals 1 acres. I don't see me digging one that big but would like to have a 1/2 acre one day. Right now money is tight, but I am hoping I could save enough to expand part of it in a couple months.
Here in Northern AL we average about 45-50 inches rain a year. In fact, it took only about 2 months to fill up. My property is flat but the pond actually sits at one of the lowest parts of my land. Decades ago, a farmer dug trenches along my four pastures that lead into one my creeks. One of the pastures, about 10 acres, watersheds into the pond. When I expand it, I plan on connecting it to another watershed ditch which drains about 15 additional acres of rainfall from another pasture and woodlands.
I would enjoy growing a trophy bass in it, but in reality, it is just too small to produce any bass with size. I have four little boys, and my goal is just for them to have some fun. I know there is a correct method and science raising fish, but I cheated and have already threw in adult fish. A friend of mine caught a 4 1/2 pound and a 4 pound LMB for me and I have already caught and transported about 200 small and adult BG and Sunfish in it. Additionally, I have caught released about a dozen 1-2 lb LMB and a few rock bass from the creek on my property. Also recently, I bought a crawfish and minnow trap for my creek which catches small BG and minnows . So far it catches a few BG and minnows daily, which I try to transport a couple time a week. Before I bought the trap, I used to by minnows by the pound at our local bait shop. It is quite expensive ($15 a lb). I am also planning on buy koy fish food for the BG in the coming weeks.
I guess I am at risk having an unbalance pond and fish population. I am hoping to offset the stunted growth of my bass by catching and releasing small BG, minnows, and sunfish from my creek. Perhaps I am going at this all wrong and I'm probably being impatient but given the fact that this is a small pond, I couldn't resist stocking them with free fish from my own creek. I can literally catch about 20 BG in an hour with worms and crickets from my creek. With three boys, my excitement is with them enjoying what my pond has to offer and the sooner the better it is for them --- and me too!
