So after a little thought and some friendly advice (here and elsewhere) I think this is where I am going to take this. First change is probably going to be the small pond, draining, deepening, then adding some better structure and spawning area. Long term goal would be a BG and channel cat pond. Great place to take the kids and watch the smiles. I also happen to have a small shale pit (gravel pit) that I hope to expand to perhaps a forage pond. Bonus, I get to sell the shale over and above what it costs to dig. The last project is the big pond. I got a professional opinion that it is about 5 acres. I got some advice that I really like. Since the pond is so large and dirt removal would really ratchet up the cost, I will likely develop a few levees and islands. I have an old grain silo that I would love to cut up to become a "flower pot" for some lily pads. I also like the idea of rip rap around the edges and pea gravel to enhance spawning areas. I'm even considering sand (not too hard to get around here) to develop a beach. I've gotta learn how to post pictures on photobucket, I need to document this right!

Thanks for all the help here. I've taken bits and pieces of advice from all over the place here and I just wanted to let everyone know that it is greatly appreciated.

Shawn