Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Raising Forage and Bait Emerald shiners.

I do not know what aspect or detail of our pond or if it is just the genetics of the emerald shiners we have but they are re populating the pond to the point we can trap then every day right now. Trying to trap a big one like we let go the other day. Easy 5" if not close to 6".

Pond back ground.

Pond was dug in a kidney shape to get wave action from most any direction. The pond was dug as deep as the hoe could reach from the undisturbed sub soil. All the top soil was stripped first and piled. We are blessed with very heavy clay so the sides are an easy 10/12 then where the rip rap was placed about 12 liner feet all the way around the pond is 4/12.

We built up the banks before we put the rip rap in to level the ponds rim. The compaction was only what the bulldozer could pack as it leveled the sub soil clay. So after the clay was all leveled we had one end about 14 feet deep at full pool and the other end 12 feet deep. There was a natural slope to the land of 2 feet so the road side did get an extra 2 feet of clay.

All around the pond was 4" medium recycled concrete as rip rap. It was cheaper than river rock at about 1/4 the cost. As well it would then give off lime stone for quite some time as the concrete aged.

We built a ridge in the middle across the kidney shape that is 5-8 feet deep. The ridge is where we put pea stone mixed with some crusher screenings. This was built for sun fish if some day we chose to go with bass and sun fish stocking combo. I nice spawning area. On the one side of the ridge we have stacked a pile of sticks. Apple trees, spruce trees, pine bows and a few stumps. Just out from this brush pile we have potted hybrid lily pads. Some red, yellow, and orange. All are a little later then each other so most of the season there is some cover and one at least flowering.

On the direct north side of our pond we built a water fall. This waterfall is about 6 feet tall and about 8 feet wide. It is made up of granite slabs ranging from 6-8"s and stacked. Under all the rock is a heavy rubber roofing material epdm. This runs deep into the pond as well just about to the bottom. We then placed 4" river rock on top of the rubber all the way to the bottom of the pond. I did not want the water coming off the falls to erode the pond bank under the falls in the pond. We pump 5500 gph over it with the in pond pump. We have a drainage creek about 40 feet from the pond that we fill the pond to full pool. The pumps pump 8500 gph in over the falls when the pond float calls for water. This was all build with the hopes that some day walleye may spawn in our pond. The water coming in from this creek has farm land run off so we do not fertilize the pond at all. I feel there is enough coming in from the farm land. In the spring I run the falls 12 hours a day during the day. The falls face is 100% south exposure. In the summer when the water temp of the pond starts to creep up I run the falls 12 hours at night. This dose seem to help keep the pond cool in the summer months. In August the pond will evaporate and leak water and the water level will drop 2-3 feet. When the creek fills up with water again the pond fills.

We have a small aerator pump that pumps 24/7 year round. Two air stations on the shallow ridge run all winter and the two deep ones all summer. I do have one of the shallow ones running just a bit in the summer. If the hydro flickers from a summer storm the little rocker air pump will lock and not pump the air down that deep. So with the shallow air station valve just cracked on the air will escape there and allow the pump to start then it pumps air deeper and pressure builds.

Other than a floating dock that is details on the pond. I do add blue dye to the water to limit the FA and the pond from going to dark with plankton. As soon as I can't see 18"s deep in gos a half a pint of pond dye.

Picture "pondGmap3" shows. Green showing ridge, Red on ridge showing brush pile and lily's, blue circles showing air stations. Red circle on shore indicates waterfall, red lines from creek are in and out from creek.

Cheers Don.