Hello everyone. Regular reader, first time poster. I've been lurking around the last few months (on a daily basis actually)learning a lot and loving the amount of great info that gets posted here. There is a great community of regulars here that make all this pond "stuff" informative yet entertaining!
So here is my story: Recently purchased a 5 acre tract and in the process of building our "forever" home. Finally escaped from neighbors on top of us/cookie cutter housing hell and moving out to the country where the kids will have room to run. Basement and garage are poured, framing to start 12/26 with a completion goal date in late March to early April.
At some point in 2013, probably second half of year. I will begin pond(s) construction. If I can wait that long! Got to get the house finished up first so I can keep the wife indoors working on her own projects and not asking too many questions (like how much is this gonna cost?!) Dont tell her I said that
I've got a high clay content soil and it holds water probably too well. The construction site is a muddy nightmare right now! So I dont think pond construction will be an issue. I've done a test hole (lightly packed)and it held rainwater until it evaporated after 6 days time.I havent done the actual bucket test yet, but will get to that when I have the placement zeroed in for sure.
So my plans...I've got big plans..dreams..ideas..whatever you want to call them include a small swimming pond void of fish complete with beach area, rope swing, slide...etc. Swimming with fish freaks my wife out, so I told her I'd do that for her. LoL And then the larger body of water will be the Fishin Pond. I'm thinking 3/4 of an acre...maybe a full 1 acre if I can. I plan to aerate and probably feed. That seems to be a necessity for larger fish from what I've read...sure speeds it up anyway.
I've always been a bass person so my initial goal coming into all this was for a LMB pond (woohoo my first PB acronym!). However after learning more and more on here (and seeing Sprkplugs monsters)I'm teetering on going the big HBG route. I've had the opportunity to catch some big HBG in a managed pond and it is truly a blast, so I could probably go either way. It just seems for a smaller pond like I'm wanting to build it would be more conducive to creating a great bluegill pond rather than a LMB pond. Am I wrong in that thinking?
Anyway, it a pleasure to verbally meet all of you finally. Not sure what took me so long..but I look forward to picking all your brains as I plan and execute building my empire.
Attached is a rough interpretation of what I plan to do with the place. Subject to change of course
