Hi. I’m a new pond owner. Bought a place with a ½ acre pond, average depth is around 4 feet. I have a few LMB and BG and there are some forage fish (not sure what kind). The previous owner said there’s also some CC. Last year, I purchased 12 GC but I know some have washed away after a 10” rain when the damn overflowed.
I’m looking for advice please on how to start building up my fish habitat. My interest is mostly to learn about and enjoy observing the ecosystem. I might do some catch and release fishing some day if some grandchildren come along.
I’m just north of Atlanta and have access to LMB, BG, CC and FHMs. I’d like to start off with an ‘old school’ self-sustaining approach. i.e. buying some FHMs and maybe installing a BoJo light for fun. I’m open to some hand feeding but not quite ready for the expense of an automatic feeder. I know I should probably do an electrofishing survey but for now on my little ½ acre hobby pond, I’d rather spend the money on fish. That’s IF I can figure out the right mix and quantity.
Long term, I’d like to have some nice LMG (thinking grandkids again…) and may someday get a feeder, but for now, I’m happy just to get the food chain started. Assume it’s 1960 and we don’t have fancy automatic feeders and nutritionally engineered fish food…
Let me pose some questions and let’s see how it goes.
(1) Can anyone point me to a good resource for understanding the small pond food chain fundamentals. I’m a new subscriber to PB but looking for a jump start.
(2) Assume I just stay with whatever LMB I have for now, what would you recommend for a BG, CC, FHM order?
(3) What ‘s the worst mistake I could make?
Thanks in advance everyone. I’m really looking forward to everyone’s feedback.
