Hi Josh. Sorry for the delay (I was off on a turkey hunt).
Bill is right -- the best thing you can do is read a little. I thought that someone had once posted a web site for the Michigan pond management booklet. However, I could not find the booklet online. I did, however, find a web site that tells you how to order it.
http://www.msue.msu.edu/oakland/ManagingMichPonds.html Also, I did find the Indiana DNR pond management booklet at the following web address.
http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/publications/fsmgt/fishmgt.pdf We do have a South Dakota booklet as well. If you want to give me a mailing address, I can send you a copy.
In general, most people tend toward largemouth bass and a panfish species for most pond management. This isn't the only thing you can do, but it is an easy, fun, and safe strategy. We've developed quite a few smallmouth bass pond fisheries around here. They are a very fun sport fish. We'll have an article in the July/August issue of Pond Boss magazine that covers smallmouth bass in ponds. If you can't wait that long, send me an e-mail address, and I'll send you a copy of that article in a Word file.
Dave
