Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Renovating a Pond or Lake? Pond reconstruction in ohio

My father in law and I are starting over on a pond we purchased last spring Its 1.7 acres now and we are enlarging it to about 3 acres. We caught most of the fish out before we drained thelake in July. The lake was around 8ft at the deepest part but most was 4ft. We intend to keep the shallows to a small area with the deepest being 12ft. It has incredible spring feeds which is good. The construction company is moving in Tuesday and I have been working on pvc structure. I made six trees and one bluegill safety house today. when I'm done there will be 3 separate areas of structure around the pond so it will be 2 pvc trees a bluegill house, tire pyramid and a rock pile and maybe plastic pallets at each area. Depths of structure will run 5-10ft with 2:1 scope drop off they will be casting distance from shore if I don't have the boat out. I found 3 approx 5' by 5' flat rocks at a landscape place that will be placed on the edge of the shore inches above full water level to step out on and cast to the structure. Want two pea gravel spawning bed areas one set shallow 2-3ft one about 3-4ft both with rock piles leading into deeper water. My goal is to establish all the main species Bass Bluegill Perch Crappie some Strippers then start importing Saugeyes from my local lake haunts its legal here in Ohio to transport live fish for personal use. I have stocked saugeyes in another pond before with good results though they get scrawny in hot summers. My question is does someone specialize in pond management in this area [central Ohio] that could help me out I think Jones Fish Hatchery may be the way to go. Any help would be appreciated. I only have one chance with the building part of this thing and want to do it right. My construction guy is good with lots of experience but I just want to know structure placement and sunken humps and trenches. I am wondering why he wants 2:1 instead of 3:1 shore drop off is this a problem? Has anyone else stocked saugeyes? I will wait until the stocked fish have established themselves. How late in the season can you stock fish for the first time?

Read more: http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/community/showthread.php?t=182830#ixzz1X9JPqfyD

Darryl:

Regarding the 2:1 slope. How constant will the water level stay in the pond? If it will vary much, the 2:1 slope will be very hard to walk on, and if it's started right from the water level of the pond, it might be difficult for someone to get back out of the pond if they slipped in the water.

My suggestion would be to make it 3:1 and some areas 4:1 (for spawning or swimming) and then make it 2:1 once you've hit 3' depth in areas that aren't 4:1 and start the 2:1 in 4' or 5' water depth in the 4:1 areas. Fish like different bottom contours too, snd will work the edges of the different depths.

Read on here about crappie. They aren't typically recommended for pond because of their "feast or famine" spawning habits.

If you haven't done so already, go the the home page of PB, and order the book "Perfect Pond, Want One?" It will be a good reference book for you.

As for the management company, I don't know. But, I think they should be involved in the construction phase of the pond as well, it would make managing the pond a bit easier.

The pond being spring fed should help keep the pond full providing the springs flow year round and the pond is not a big leaker when finished. Jones does have some fishery people. They may have a shock boat; if not I question their degree of commitment and expertise to fishery management. They may specialize in stocking and selling stuff. Not much expertise needed to sell, but to properly manage and analyze fishery communities requires a higher degree of knowledge and experience. Fenders fish Farm in Baltic OH sells lots of fish including adults which very few fish farms in OH do this. Raising and selling adult fish requires a different type of advanced management than that for just selling fingerlings and juveniles.

One appoach is to read, study, and do homework on your own about the management that you think you need for your renovated, enlarged pond. A whole lot of the info that you need is already printed/posted here in old topics and the archives. Lots of experts from numerous fields weigh in here. Learn how to search for information on this forum. Check Archives for article contents and indexes for pertinent back issues of Pond Boss Magazine.
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IMO don't get in a big hurry to stock the sport fish. Allow adequate time to build a diverse and strong forage base which will and can sustain the fishery for many years providing it is managed properly. Spend the winter here reading, learning and forming a stocking plan. Then follow that plan in the spring 2012. Any fish stocked this fall 2011 will not grow much before the water again gets 60F+ (Apr-May2012). Meanwhile the pond will have several months to develop both phyto and zooplankton as an essential food base for the fishery. Also do not neglect reading and researching proper aquatic plantings to enhance the pond and fishery. This fall focus on establishing a grassed watershed for the pond; very important for the water quality of the pond.


Some hatcheries emphasize full stocking at the onset, which IMO is a big mistake because it does not build and provide a strong and diverse forage base to sustain a premium balanced fishery. If a pond owner has to come back to the hatchery for forage and supplimental stockings then that is a GOOD thing and in their opinion.

Saugeye

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=198057

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=252624

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=220437

IMO saugeye get scrawy mainly due to lack of adequate food (forage problem) not due to hot Ohio summers. A spring fed and or deeper pond pond with good habitat should not have issues of elevated water temperatures for saugeye or walleye. Sauger and walleye stay plump (good Wr) in the upper Ohio River and that water gets warm duing summer sometimes as warm as 90F.

Thanks for all! love this forum and love the mag I'm learning in leaps and bounds trying to do this thing right the first time.

Jones does have a shock boat & performs fish population surveys.Also, A.T.A.C llc, in Oregonia,OH Ph.i-888-998-POND,offers these services,too.

I,ve purchased items from both,but have no experience with their services.

Hope this helps.