Hello All, greetings from the Pheasant hunting capital of the world, Winner, South Dakota(please excuse the possible copyright infringement). I know I read this all the time in other posts, but what a wonderful site the Pond Boss Forum folks have put together. Thank you for all of your help and wonderful idea's. This thread will be somewhat similar to many other threads, but like all ponds will have its own twists and turns.
To start with, I have a newly renovated old Work Project Administration dam built in the 1930's, approximately 6.5 acres, 1/3 mile long (so longer than wide), average depth of 8 feet, with deepest areas being around 15 feet. The main dam has an old rock face along it. At some point the main dam failed and over the years several smaller ponds and dugouts were built within the banks of the original dam. When I purchased the property the original dam and most of the dugouts were dry and silted in.
I planted intermediate wheat and tall wheat grass in the original basins, repaired the wash out in the face of the dam and raised the height by two feet, and removed many yards of silt. I left a large area at the head of the pond very shallow, with grass in it to try and capture future silt issues. I also did many improvements in the draw above the pond to reduce erosion and slow down waterflow during large rain events (cause of original dam failure). The finished pond has a main area off the original WPA dam of 3.5 acres with a maximum depth of 12 foot. The bottom is comprised of wheat grasses that were approximately 4 foot tall and a few years old when water finally began filling the pond. The main pond connects with the remaining ponds through a 15 foot wide waterway that runs along the east side of one of the four dugout dams and is approximately 3.5 feet deep. I left the dams of the remaining four ponds in the new pond to create more areas for underwater plant cover and nesting. The remaining 4 ponds average .75 acres each. Three of them have maximum depths of 15 feet and are connected to one another through the shallower pond. This pond has a maximum depth of 4 feet, and average depth is 3 feet, and is covered in wheat grasses. All pond work was completed in late spring of 2012. Due to the drought the main pond did not receive any runoff and remained dry throughout the year. The three deeper smaller ponds all filled up during the drought of 2012 from underground springs, but did not have enough flow to fill up the whole pond. With the 2013 snow melt the main pond filled up and connected all area's. I haven't read much about leaving grasses in the bottom of ponds for more cover so I hope this was not mistake. I also haven't read of anyone patching together ponds, so I hope the shallow area's betweem them aren't going to cause problems. I know I am posting under the fish stocking area, so construction input may not be appropriate, but I wanted to provide information on what I will be stocking into.
My goal for the pond is a place for me to spend time fishing with my wife and kids, and family friends. I would like to be able to catch and keep many pounds of panfish, and walleye and to have quick bites for the kids. We will also be doing a lot of ice fishing. I stocked many pounds of FH into the pond in the spring of 2013, and one of the dugouts already had FH and GSF. I know I read some threads saying GSF were ok baitfish for larger predators, but have noticed lately that they seem to be more frowned upon. I will have a lot of them now since I'm sure they spawned this spring. I would like to have BCP, YP, BG, RES, WE. For forage I am going to add PK shrimp, continue to try and maintain FH, and add BNM if I can trap or purchase some. I know Bill Cody recommended another minnow beyond the BNM, but I cannot remember the name. I know everyone will say no BCP, but they are so delicious. I may be willing to forego BCP as I am concerned I am trying to stock to many predators and not enough forage, but I would love to have the problem of trying to manage them in a small pond. Will I need to add LMB or HSB to try and control the GSF, BG, or can continued stocking of larger WE control them? Since I already have GSF should I forego adding BG? What size would the WE need to be to outcompete GSF, and BG? My primary goal is pounds of panfish and quick bites for kids, not trophies. Can WE be my apex predator in a pond like this, or will I need to add LMB? Do I need to be doing anything else for forage fish? Suggestions on places in SD close to me to purchase fish would also be appreciated. Valentine, Nebraska appears to be the closest, but then I am required to go through the state to get approval to transfer across state lines. Anyone have any knowledge on South Dakota fisheries?
Lastly, for cover there is a lot of flooded logs, shrubs, wheat grasses I planted, APW I have planted, and the rock face of the dam. I was wondering if there was a benefit to also planting baby pondweed since I have APW? I am also planning on trying to order CEG to get a little more cover in water deeper than APW and as a little diversification to APW. Any thoughts or experience on that in South Dakota, plus places people have had good experience receiving CEG from? I will also be building more fish habitat and egg laying structure for FHM, YP and BCP (maybe BG if suggested). Would love to be able to create WE reproduction in my pond on the rock face of the dam, but have not heard of much success of WE reproduction in ponds w/out creeks flowing into them.
Sorry about being so wordy, but I have been lurking here collecting information and trying to go on my own for a long time, and finally feel a need to reach out for a little help as I approach a large step in the life of my pond. Thanks for any help, suggestions or experiences that you can relate. I will keep you informed as the pond continues to progress.
Joelleye
