Everything I thought I knew before building my pond now seems much more complicated! I had basically learned that a pond will support more & bigger fish if it is fertilized but some posts indicate fertilization is not always a good idea. Thus, I would love some expert opinion for my situation: 1.5 acre pond built Fall 2015, clay bottom, in the woods, filled by 55 acres (according to NRCS survey) of runoff via a feeder creek that has a spring in it that always has trickled some even in drought in Longview, TX. Stocked with 150 LMB, 2000 CNBG/RES, & 6000 FHM in Nov. 15 with goal of biggest LMB I can manage but balancing that with numbers for good catch rate. Feeding bluegill high protein food 4 times/day. Water is tannic, 26 inches visibility, alkalinity=25(that's after 9 tons lime before it filled and another 1.5 tons after!), pH=7.2, calcium hardness=20. Water has been flowing out of an overflow pipe 4 feet from the bottom continuously since it filled in Novemeber but I expect that to stop soon with summer. On that note, should I do anything about too much "flushing?" More importantly, should I fertilize? Thanks for your help.
