Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Help me with my Stocking plan.

The pond isnt dug yet, so i have plenty of time to make sure i do this right. lets say the pond will be dug and full enough of water for fatheads. I plan on making some sort of box like structure surrounded by orange construction netting right next to placing some ceder shingles in the shorline at varying depths. hopefully this will allow me to get a sustainable fathead population. w/ spawning places and a structure fo them to avoid predation. will this work?

also the pond will have a deep end (for swimming) and a shallow end for spawning. where should i put tis structure?

the fatheads will be added in the fall and will be given all winter to reproduce. this spring i think i should add 500 bluegill, and 30 or so channel cats. followed by 100 bass the following spring.

will this plan work?

what size fish should i stock w/ this plan

will fishing be better for the other two species if i leave the CC's out?

i want to feed to increase the size of my bluegill and the amount that are in there but i dont know much about feeding so school me on that.

i would like to avoid aeration.

my goals are for catching LOTS of fish, not trophy fish. big is nice but is secondary to catching fish more often/easier.

pond as far as i know right now will be between 1/2 and 3/4 of an acre, around 8-10 feet at the deep part.

i also plan on adding some cinderblocks, pvc trees, and in the shallow end i am going to put in some gravel and sand beds.

there is a very good chance the pond will fluctuate by a few feet during the dry months, so how do i plan on where to put in my structure so its usable for fish and an appropriate depth during all times of the year.

also, can anyone reccomend a hacthery close to me? Indianapolis IN.

the only reason for the channel cats would be if i am catching enough fish for a fish fry and i need some quick meat to add to the pot. will channels be easy enough to catch in a pond this small? i would probably just let them grow to get big enough and once they are caught they will not be release. i do NOT want hook shy fish.

CC can get hard to catch as they get big from a pond. Lots here on the subject.

i have been reading a TON, and after all the reading i cannot figure out why people still stock channel cats. i wouldnt mind leaving them out if i knew i could go fish for 20 or so bluegill of decend size for a fish fry. i dont particuarly enjoy them either. so maybe only stock 5 or 10 of advanced sizes just incase i did decide to angle for them?

Indy, think of the FHM as food for the initial stockers, and as those stockers grow larger, say to 10" the FHM will disappear. They won't be fast enough to avoid predation from the growing LMB and BG. They WILL provide a good jump start for the stocked fish. Unfortunately, they will not spawn during the winter in your area. They need water temps in the 66�F to 86�F range. The spawning structure should be in water roughly 18" or less. Each Male FHM has a territory of about 18" square.

If you don't particularly like CC, then I'd leave them out. Advanced sizes eat smaller fish, and from my experiences of low CC densities in my pond, they are hard to catch. Catch a small one and expect to catch it again once it gets larger? Not likely. I caught a 14# one the Spring of 2009. Tagged it and released it. It hasn't been caught or seen again.

If you have the patience, stock FHM and GSH as soon as the pond is completed. Hopefully there will be enough time during the rest of the year so they can pull off at least one spawn. Add fingerling BG/RES the following Spring. Add the predators (LMB fingerlings and any other fingerling predators) the next Fall. I know some people will say that BG will stunt if allowed to get way ahead of the predators. My feelings are that if you see that happening, add more LMB. I've heard of more problems associated with stunted LMB in a pond with BG than problems with stunted BG in a pond with LMB.

You have the same problems as I do with water fluctuations. My recommendation is to make sure you have enough clay to line the pond and keep it water tight. Avoid a ground water pond if at all possible.

If that's not possible (like me) then you will have to live with having the fish cover exposed above the waterline part of the year, and the edges of the pond bottom exposed to erosion as well when the water receeds. The cover should be placed at a depth where the fish will be able to use it. If the water level bounces around, then you will need more cover, at varying depths so the fish can use it as the water level moves up and down. Some deep, some shallow.

Not sure about the ground water pond thing. to the best of my knowlege its about 50/50. ALL of the contractors w/ pond building experience in my area (called 10 of them) said that they would just be packing the soil w/ the backhoe (brookstone and crosbey soils so good clay content) one gave me the option of packing it with a sheeps foot for an additional 3k, but didnt mention anything about proper moisture or packing it in layers, so i dont know what to think. the pond that is located 100 yards away from where mine will go has been around for almost 20 years and i dont believe it was packed w/ a sheeps foot. there is a second well on the property so for minimal electric costs (possible solar hookup) i could have water running into it, but if the clay isnt packed tight enough adding water isnt going to do a thing. this will be a pretty steep banked pond so it shouldnt be to hard to get the structure.

what am i missing in this equasion that 10 contractors all successful pond builders all say nothing about packing in layers w/ a sheeps foot. one even said it was completely unneccessary?

also, what is the benefit of adding RES. does that not bring down the total allowable biomass for the pond allowing for fewer bluegill?

also, can someone explain to me what feeding will do for the whole equasion. if its worth the couple hundred dollar a year cost.

There are a LOT of dirt movers out there, but few pond builders. It'll get really expensive in a hurry if it has to be re-done, so do it right and do it once. Query the contractors that you've talked to about what they'd do for you if the pond doesn't hold water at the full pool level that you both agreed upon.

If you have groundwater coming in to the pond, then there is something breaking the clay barrier, be it a vein of sand, gravel or something else. Water WILL go out easier than in, so be double sure about how the pond is sealed. If you have groundwater coming into the pond, and the contractor says that a sheepsfoot isn't needed, then I'd look at a different contractor. It's all about pounds per square inch that is applied to the clay, and knitting different layers together. Think of pages in a book. The water can run between the individual pages but not thru the pages. A sheepsfoot used correctly knits the pages together so the water can't run between them.

RES will lower the BG total, but they occupy a different ecosystem in the pond, and they will help with vector control by eating snails. They are a good thing to have in the pond, and get to the same size as BG.

Feeding helps, but it all depend on your goals. I've seen the figures of 10# of forage = 1# on a LMB, and 1 1/4# of good feed = 1# of fish flesh. That says it all for me.

Before you make a decision on the contractor, do some serious research into how much it will cost to use a well. I'm pumping 28 gpm and it's barely enough to keep up with seepage. But, I have sandy soil and expected that.

but with all the contractors i talked to they all said pretty much the exact same thing. anybody know a so called pond "builder" in my area that i could talk to?

The builder doesn't necessarily have to be in IN to consult with them. You may want to give Mike Otto a ring and obtain his advice. It would be worth it with his knowledge...

PM me a phone number?

He's the co-owner of this forum...

[email protected] http://www.ottosdirtservice.com

great advice and then some... he answered all my questions and more in about 10 minutes. and in case anyone else is following my ordeal, a sheepsfoot is NOT needed in my application with an excavated pond w/ no damn and a high water table. it helps that i have great soil though and the backhoe will provide adequate enough compaction.

That's good news! It's amazing how fast soil can change as you move about the country. Just a few miles makes all the difference in the world.

Glad you got the info you were looking for... He has a good reputation for a reason!

Check references, that is key on any construction project.. Might seem like a waste of time but really check, talk to the people. Get references from many years back to see how there work from 15-20 yrs ago is holding up.. I never checked reference until I built my house now I'd never even hire a guy to pick up sticks inmy yard without references.. Trust me on this.

IGW:
You might try Clear Creek Fisheries, In Martinsville. Not too far off of Highway 37, Larry Hess is the owner. They also deal in some aquatic plants.