Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Raising Forage and Bait Freshwater shrimp

Only got nailed once, never again...and my fingers were VERY cold.

Isn't it funny with some lessons we only have to be told once??

Kinda like picking pennies off a hot wood stove... The Lincoln staring back at you being burned into your thumb is a solid reminder to a 4 year old that cold pennies are much better to pick up than hot ones!

Well did you find any?, or was it to painfull to look after the trap ordeal???lol

Went out Saturday, ran sampling net around the pond in likely looking areas [submerged vegetation]. Second pass yielded a plump, large female and my hopes were high. All subsequent nets were only filled with aquatic insects, minnows and tadpoles. Bear in mind I still had about 20% ice coverage. May need a little more warming up before I can make any judgements.

Most of mine are carrying eggs now. Numbers seem down from last year, but I have more grassy areas than last year for them to disperse in.

I think you're gonna be in good shape TJ. Finding one plump female this early is a good sign.

Any evidence for effect of shrimp introduction on bluegill and bass size?

Too early with people trying them out to really say for certain. However, grass shrimp turn detritus into BG food, so one would think it would have an affect...

Thanks. I'm moving to a farm in Lynchburg, Virginia, this summer and have picked a site where I believe I could build a 5 to 20 acre lake. I'm trying to figure out how to build a forage base, stock, and manage, to develop a true trophy bass lake. Everything is wide open right now. The site is fed by a healthy stream, and I am considering stocking FHM, GSH, and crayfish initially, followed by bass and bluegill. I'll have to scratch my head over the grass shrimp.

If trophy bass is your goal, the grass shrimp wouldn't hurt, but I don't think they will make a big difference.

20 acres is rather large private pond for the east... Have you done much research on this?

I think his estimate is off 5-20 acres is a broad estimate for a pond. Most landowners have more of closer idea to the size.

I have just started reseasrching it. The farm is 1700 acres, and the watershed to the lake site is several hundred acres. There is a nice sized stream running through the area. I've asked one fairly knowledgable party about what sized lake I could put in, and their answer was, "at least 10 acres".

As things stand now, I live 3 hours away from the farm, and am working nearby on weekends,staying with friends because there is no heat in my grandfather's house. The basement flooded and cracked the boiler for the steam radiators.

Once I am down here full time, likely summer of 2012, I'd like to get a consultant to come in help me get my bearings with the project, and put a plan in place. The problem is, I don't know of any good lake/pond consultants in Va.

Any ideas there?

One person to contact is Dave Beasley who used to work at a place NY that was developing a trophy fishery. Now I think he is based in VA, not sure of the company's name. Someone may be able to help with this info. This is an article that he wrote for Jan-Feb 2009 PBoss magazine: PREPARING YOUR TROPHY FISHERY FOR ANOTHER GROWING SEASON. Dave Beasley provides numerous suggestions for developing, enhancing and maintaining a trophy fishery. Discussed are defining goals, feeder maintenance, harvest, budget, permits, general tasks, population adjustments, best sampling times, RW data, scale samples, equipment checks, spring tasks.

Thanks! I've pulled up his website and he is in Va. I've posted the link below in case anyone else is interested.

http://www.virginialakemanagement.com/meet-the-team.php

Deadwood,were you able to build your pond? If so could you give some details? We have a tree farm in Nelson Co. that has a spring fed stream that may be a good place for a SMB pond. Any info would be helpful. thank you

Hey ken. I did not build the new lake yet. I did get a pre-consultation with Dave Beasley from solitude lake management and he seemed like a very knowledgeable and generally good guy. I am planning on starting the official consultation process this spring.

Your pond site sounds nice. I would really like a SMB, GSH, YP, HSB pond if I start another smaller lake on the farm.

Dave B. is a nice guy and a PB supporter. Be sure and tell him you are also.

Deadwood, your dream sounds like mine. Maybe we can make it happen.