stclAG,
Howdy neighbor...East Texas rules for ponds...in spite of what you may read from naysayers. Our abundant rains and great sub-surface clays are a paradise for pond owners and our long growing seasons enable superb growth in our fish.
Our surface soils are generally acidic and most ponds benefit from 4 to 6 tons per acre of lime every 5 years or so. $45 per ton spread sounds like a reasonable price to me. I bought 26 tons last year for pasture and ponds at a spread cost of about $37 per ton, but fuel costs have really hit hard in that regard.
I like a higher alkalinity myself for optimum fish growth and keep my ponds in the 100 to 125 range generally. If it were me, I wouldn't nickle and dime the lime, but go ahead and add the 4 tons if that is what the soil tests recommend. My results are all documented at:
http://www.meadowlarkponds.com/ Fertilization is an interesting topic...and in my opinion, results can vary substantially. In our region, it pays to be very careful about fertilization.
Some folks will tell you to fertilize to help control the weeds in your pond...then recommend other chemicals to use when the weeds explode in growth from the fertilizers...run as fast as you can away from those folks.
Ohh, by the way, I should say I'm a natural kind of person, always looking for natural solutions first rather than chemicals in ponds. Chemicals are a last resort for me. I will, on rare occasions in the spring when the water color doesn't show enough "green", add cottonseed meal to get a bloom going, but do so with great caution and never in summer conditions.
If I can help you in any way, please advise. I've made most of the mistakes that can be made on ponds around here (south of Lufkin, north of Livingston).
What kind of fishing do you have? If different from what you have, what kind of fishing would you like to have?
