Bill,
Thank you for sharing such thoughtful and in-depth information.
I understand the aspect of fertile water and clarity not usually going hand in hand. I am pretty much up to speed on the way the food chain reacts to happy water and that nutrient rich (colored water) is not the same as silt laden water. I guess when I referred to clear water it was in reference to keeping as much runoff related suspension out of the pond as possible all the while having a nice balance in the ecosystem. I am really not trying to create a trophy pond but one with a more natural balance. Going back to my original question about raising food outside of the project pond, I didn’t plan on what I was going to raise to make it to year three and maybe not even year two, I thought that if the balance was on the lighter side with prey that I could add more, manually. If I am able to grow them throughout the year, the bass should always have easy access to food. If I were able to do this, wouldn’t the required carrying power of the water be reduced? Now, if the sacrificial fingerlings don’t get gobbled up in short order because of the habitat I plan to use, then I certainly will need to manage them by other means. If I am able to get the bg to spawn in a controlled environment then they will be dependent on me for a food supply and will be pellet trained prior to their release. If the prey is not really dependent on what the water supplies as food, wouldn’t that help control the clarity? Or, will the higher nutritional values of the pellets increase fertility in the pond ?
Being from Ohio, have you ever heard of, or fished the strip mines that Ohio Power gave to the state? For those who don’t know, the Strip Mines are or at least were, some 40 plus years ago, these empty holes in the ground that were left behind after surface veins of coal were extracted. I don’t know the full story as to whether it was Gov Regs or the company wanting to do right, but, the pits left behind were pretty much barren rock laden water holes that got stocked with fish. I bring this up because back then, these were not really managed, had extremely clear water, no habitat except for rocks. In my part of Ohio these ponds were known to produce. You could count on it that come Spring, you would hear about the giant bass that were taken there. I know that if given enough time that even the poorest water can do this, just not consistently. Another factor for the bigs was that the ponds were not easily accessible which kept the pressure and ability to manage low, but the bass still thrived and did well in spite of their living conditions.
Even though I am not focused on growing giants, I hope that I can make a pond with over 5’ visibility, not the happiest of water but most everything else a good pond needs, and a place of moderate challenge when fished. If the water is not clear, it will not be a failure.
So, here is something that I have not mentioned because I know that there are many reasons why I should not do this other than it’s a project that I have wanted to do for a very long time. The reason I am bringing it up now is because in the last issue of Pond Boss, which was my first, Bob Lusk spoke directly to me saying that it’s alright to chase a dream. Well that’s how I took it. In the article,”Niches”, Mr Lusk talks about the Spotted Bass being a niche fish and mentioned how unavailable they are to purchase. I Could not agree more. I had done a ton of searches early this year and came up with zero results to purchase spotted bass. So, This summer I started gathering my brood stock from the local waters with the knowledge that I was going to build a pond to put them in. I know the genetic part of the equation is somewhat out the window by taking this route but I had to start somewhere. In June I was able to catch 5 Spots over 12” long. I have a koi pond of around 1500 gal that had been without koi for over a year so I put them in and started putting the feed to them. They are a ball to observe and wow do they love to eat. Even though I have not taken them out of their water to get weights and length, it is very obvious how much they have grown, especially wide. I know that one issue with transplanted fish is the chance of carrying in diseases. I am not to worried about this since any fish I add will have all come from the same source. And, any run off that could possibly make it to other waters ,which is a very long distance away, would go into the same waters from where the fish came. The only fish that could be affected would be the prey fish or any fish that I would add from a hatchery.
You had mentioned different combinations that the pond could have and I had already been giving that some thought. Since the same waters from where the Spots are coming from also has hybrids in it, I was considering adding a few grown ones to help reduce the risk of overpopulation with the Spots. Just a thought for now.
As for the size I am seeking for the new pond being around 2 acres, I felt that since the site is not suitable for much anything else but a great pond, I might as well use it to its fullest potential. Then again Mr Lusk spoke to me. This time not so much about Spots but Smallmouth. In his response to the 11 year old about how much water is needed for Smallmouth to live in,he said “In my opinion, smallmouth bass do best in ponds at least three-acres. However, in specialized cases, where the pond owner is willing to work hard at it, smallmouth bass can thrive in even tiny ponds.”
I know smallies are not spots however,the spots that I see, act more brown than green and in designing a home for them, I am trending more in the sm direction then lm. I have fished for spots for a very long time and feel like I understand much of what they like. Based on what I have learned, I am going to attempt to replicate this in the habitat.
About the other ponds and the plans for them. Pond 3 is in the same general location as to where the new one is planned and when the equipment is on site, it was on the list for a complete rebuild.
I plan on digging in to ponds 1 and 4 to get a better understanding as to what lies below the water. I will be mapping out the depths of both to know exactly where I am and what might be my next move. One thing for sure is that I will be putting some air to these two for sure. Stocking will most likely be lm and bg in pond one and walleye and bass in pond 4. Based upon what I find on number 2, I may put the SBS in it and put the feed to them for action close to the house. I had not heard of the SBS and it sounds like the exact fish I want for the grandkids.
These ponds have not had much attention thrown their way in the past and that’s about to change. I plan to have pictures of the journey and when I learn how to upload them on this site, I will share them with you.
Thanks again