I came to acquire an approx 1 acre pond in middle Georgia summer of 2024.
The pond is an average of 4-5’ deep, very nice clear clean looking water with sand bottom with patches of grass growing of bottom in various areas. Thicker in some areas.
Many trees, mostly pines surround the pond. Some other type fir trees as well.
The water level will decrease a bit in summer but never gets less than 3 feet and the water table maintains the depth at that point.
I have also deployed various structures. I have cut about 8 wood pallets in two. And made triangle shaped reefs from them. And placed throughout the pond.
The fish…
There is a pretty good abundance of small bream and bass. And even some warmouth. I began feeding the fish from an automatic feeder last summer, shut it off over winter and started it back up a month or so ago. The bream are really thriving from it. When feeder goes off a total frenzy breaks out. You can tell they have grown just from observing this. Now when I catch a bream it’s absolutely fat as can be from eating the food.
I was fishing today avd would use 2-4” bream on a bobber and had pretty good action. However the bass were very skinny. Their mouths way bigger than what their body’s should be.
With so many bream in the pond I’m not understanding why the bass are so skinny. I don’t think there’s an over abundance of bass either. I simply don’t see them (and remember the water is very clear)… could they be hiding in the grass on the bottom?
I am ordering some fish to add to the pond.
Another 300 bream. 50 red ear 6 lbs of fat head minnows and 50 large mouth bass
Any suggestions of what else I should consider? Or what I may be over looking that’s causing the bass to be so thin?
Lack of ambush habitat "can" cause this even if the forage base is sufficient number-wise. The big head/small body condition is a visible indicator that a lot of potential growth is gone, but if a lack of proper habitat is the issue, stocking will only amplify the situation. Tree lay downs, large rock jetties, big, hairy brush piles, tire piles, post cribs, etc are all possibilities for getting that back in check. I would probably recommend removing all bass under 100% RW that are over 8-10". If you run across bass of a larger size, such as 17-20" that appear to be in good condition, go ahead and return them, but something tells me you may not see many above 12-14".
Bocomo's thread is a very good one to read. Most of the time, new members will get advice and then apply it or possibly not. But Bocomo applied the advice he received and then was diligent to document the results of his efforts ... which were outstanding results in line with his goals. A good read for you because it will also give you an idea about what to expect. Anyways, the link is below and it will take you midway into the thread. After reading that page and seeing his fanatastic charts of the progress he made, read the whole thang!
Really appreciate that feedback guys. Ok will need to cancel that $1000 order of stock fish. Fine by me 😁
I’ve done an ok job with the pallets for ambush structure.
I did lay down 2 large pines into the pond but then later worried about how it may affect water ph levels. There are a ton of pines I’d love to lay down into the pond. Not only for structure but I heard they suck a ton of water from the ground/pond on a daily basis in the summer time.
So if the pines are ok to lay down would t it be better in the winter when there are not so many needles on the branch or is that insignificant?
Again the water is a nice clean clear presentation already. I am going to measure the ph in the coming weeks. Also plan to add an aerator for oxygen for the hot months ahead.
Here are a few pics of the pines around the pond. The close up are these other fir type trees. Very pretty trees. Don’t plan to cut any of those. Though I don’t doubt they drink a ton of water either.
You probably need to do a water analysis to improve your fishery. Low pH and low alkalinity makes it difficult for the bottom of your food chain to thrive. Even if your "food hog" bream are flourishing, there may be other sizes that are not. A long term healthy bass population needs a healthy bream population in a range of sizes.
With a groundwater pond, I would not worry about the pine trees around the shore drinking too much water. The entire surrounding pine forest is "drinking" from your groundwater table.
However, I would worry about the needles ending up in the pond. All of that organic matter going into the pond every year will alter your water chemistry AND add to the collection of muck on the bottom of your pond - and will eventually rob you of some of your depth in your shallow pond.
If your pond is low on structure, I like the pine trees that you have felled into the pond. A one time addition of pine needles from a felled tree is insignificant compared to the annual needle fall of all of the trees surrounding your pond.
If it was my pond, I would keep felling (onto dry land) the pine trees at the edge of the pond to reduce the needle accumulation. Do NOT ruin the beauty of your pond, so perhaps take a chunk out and see if you like that new view? If so, might it be healthier and look better take out another chunk?
I’ll continue dropping some trees. Some in the pond and some out.
Butt first before fall, when the needles cone down in the masses, I’ll get a pond rake and go around the shorelines where most of the gunk is at currently. Then start making an effort to prevent further shedding into the pond.
To piggy back on FisinRod's suggestion about the water quality:
Not sure about Central Georgia, but down in South Alabama, clear, pretty water is a telltale sign that the alkalinity is too low. Maintaining a healthy alkalinity is a very important part of creating a healthy fish population, assuming that is your primary goal. The negative: No more clear water LOL.
I was reading through this thread, and just didn't want that suggestion to go unnoticed with everything else. I will let the experts weigh in if they want.
