I'm not sure I understand your comments on the catfish?
I started out with 200 of them in my small pond and we feed them every day. They are allot of fun to watch and real easy to catch. After we catch them, we bring them down to the lake and let them go.
Bob said the catfish might spawn at two years of age, but that three is more realistic. He said that by adding allot of catfish now will just mean they will eat more of the other fish.
With what I'm doing, I'll have enough mature fish in there when they begin to spawn to have a good supply of them down the road.
My goal is a pretty looking pond, fishing is secondary, but while I'm at it, I figure I might as well do what I can to make it a good fishing hole too. Around here, it seems most people like black crappie more then anything. At least, that's what I keep getting asked. I'm not going that route, so bass will be my main game fish with bluegill second and catfish third.
What I'm realy exited about is that there are now a few areas that have grass growing from the waters edge all the way over the dam!!!! There's still lots of exposed dirt, but the bermuda is thick and lush where it's well established and in the open areas, it's taking over rather quickly!!!!
My biggest problem has been keeping the tractor out of the lake. I drive as close as I think I can while mowing, but seem to end each day with it buried in mud. I did it again yesterday in a new spring that I didn't know I had.
Speaking of springs... When I started building this, there was one good spring that had water coming out of it year round. It's not allot of water, but anything is better then nothing. My shoreline was set to be just below this spring and to allow water to flow from it to the pond. With two years of drought, it just about dried up, but not quite. There was always a wet spot in the dirt, but the standing water disapeared awhile ago.
It's flowing right now, but not like a stream or anything like that. Just water oozing out of the ground and down to the shoreline. It's kind of like standing water after a rain, but on the side of my bank, if that makes any sense.
Thanks,
Eddie
