Due to a surprise dam failure I had opportunity to renovate my pond. The dam had a tunnel bored though it that turned into a cut that turned the pond into a stream with three pools. A contractor friend brought equipment to fix the dam and dug six nice holes for me around the pond. We made some stone pyramids in the holes that go up six feet to where the surface of the pond should be when it�s refilled. Also had him dig out a patch of cattails in the shallowest part of the pond, that area should be 4 feet deep when filled and I spread gravel several inches thick to hopefully create a spawning bed. Two big brush piles when in as well as ten pine trees I cut.

Since the fish were in pools we got the nets out and cleaned house. I removed all the Israeli or grass carp over 8 inches. I was able to give a lot of them away to golf coarse but a large number of them were buried in a cornfield. It�s hard to identify the smallest carp from the minnows but best estimate is 1200 to 1500 carp under eight inches remain. Also netted were small sunfish no bigger then 4 inches. I�m not sure what they were but every one we could find is gone. All so gone are a dozen or so suckers of decent size. What remain are the Carp under eight inches, thousands of minnows of several species, four 12 to 14 inch musky, and two 12-inch bowfins, and undoubtedly a few for those small sunfish. The pond is starting to fill back up so hear is my stocking plan for the fall.

� Fifty northern strain LMB from a stunted pond near by. The fish from that pond are averaging 8 to 10 inches.
� Fifty Blue gill 4 to 6 inches from a blue gill heavy impound
� 2,000 Blue gill 1 to 2inches (fish farm)
� 800 Red ear 1 to 2 inches (fish farm)

The pond when filled back up will be four acres. It has a spring and creek feeding it so it shouldn�t take long. I know that is not many bass but I whant big fat predators. The Bass should put on lots of weight with the minnows and sunfish. I�m hopping by leaving the smaller carp the musky and bow fins though only six fish will focus on those instead of the bass. If this works I could add 50 8 to 10 inch F1 bass next spring. I want to make sure there is a good forage base.