I've always dreamed of living near a pond and now I'm building a house next to a 3/4-acre retention pond owned by the homeownership association. Here a view of the pond from Bing maps: http://binged.it/mbInta

I've already mapped the size of the pond using this Google Maps tool to determine the acreage.
http://www.daftlogic.com/projects-google-maps-area-calculator-tool.htm

I'm getting this wireless depthfinder to maps the bottom of the pond.
http://store.humminbird.com/products/341323/RF25 You can cast it.

I'm just about to start logging fish sizes as I catch them. I suspect the bass are slightly underweight from what I've caught so far but the bluegill are huge. I hope to start a supplemental feeding program. The pond doesn't have much structure for the fish, so that's something I'm looking into, too.

One question I have is how much of the food comes into the pond from the two large drainage pipes that empty into it. Seems like a lot of night crawlers and bugs must get washed in. Another similar size retention pond nearby has huge fish. I've caught a 10-pound channel cat and a five-pound bass there. (Both by catching s small bluegill and using it as bait.)

I'm looking forward to being part of this group and learning a lot! I'm already devouring the videos and forum.

Tim Bete
Writer, rookie pond boss, part-time pirate

See my pond