Hello everyone, I’ve been lurking in the weeds and formulating my new pond plan for the last year, based on lots advice from a lot of you, much appreciated! Guess I’m just looking for reassurance that I don’t have any major pitfalls in my plan below. Read lots of good info in JoshMI’s recent post below, but didn’t want to hijack his thread: https://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=552943&nt=3&page=1
PLAN: 0.8 acre groundwater pond in central Michigan LP (see attached recent and construction pictures) Newly dug this winter, currently 9-10’ average depth (almost full pool I’d guess), 13-14’ hole in a corner. 3:1 sloped sides except for more gradual swimming corner, pond is almost entirely sand. Based on neighboring ponds, don’t expect water level to decrease more than 1-2’ during summer.
Goal 1) YP for table fare and ice fishing, SMB for kids to catch on open water Goal 2) Swimming corner that is relatively free of underwater taller weeds (may not be possible but..) Goal 3) Perform pond experiments
Stocking plan: Spring ’24: 5 # FHM, 5 # SFS - adding pallets, horizontal 4” PVC sections, and Christmas trees for spawning structure RES...? (I’m driving to OH to get SFS (3 hrs away), thought I’d try putting in some small RES since they sell them, see if they make it. MI DNR report I read on the forum indicated my location is borderline ok based on # of frost free days). If they don't make it, maybe I'll try catching some MI wild RES in the future per other discussion in Josh's post.
Fall ’24: 150 4-5” YP 50 5-7” YP (or whatever a larger size is available, to see if I can get any to spawn in Spring '25) 75 4-5” SMB Papershell crayfish - 300 ct box from Smith Creek, will add rock piles (waiting til fall so I can try to establish vegetation this summer)
Vegetation/Structure:
Entire pond currently bare sand. Add American Eelgrass – Provide cover for YOY fish, maybe inhibit some of the other unwanted taller weeds Add Pickerelweed – Along shore Add various artificial structure, yearly Christmas trees plantings for YP spawning, pull them after they get in rough shape
Aeration:
Plan to get recommended aeration in the future, currently don’t have electricity on property though. (TBD)
Side notes: Plan to get pellet trained YP and SMB from Ron Crismon, plan to supplemental pellet feed them. I haven’t taken water samples yet but plan to. Visibility isn’t more than 2-3’ I’d estimate, plan to measure this too.
My apologies - I know I have lots of different topics above, just want to make sure I’m heading in the right direction overall since a lot needs to happen this first season. Thanks! -Travis
After one or two spawns of GSF and no predators your 0.8 ac pond will easily have 5000 - 8000 young GSF. I trapped 2400 and 3200 per year from 0.1 ac that had just adult YP in the pond. You may have to go catch some larger smallies from a local lake or stream. I am currently thinking with no proof yet that SMB might be even a better predator of GSF than LMB because GSF and SMB both evolved together in stream conditions and often they now occur together in stream habitats. SMB evolving with GSF could make SMB a very good predator of GSF that are commonly a stream dweller.
I think it is a good idea for you to build a forage pond maybe around 0.1 ac or 60X70 or similar size. One can grow quite a few fish in 0.1 acre if feeding appropriate fish food. Paint roller pan shape forces all fish into the basin as the pond is drained. Draining each year is very,, very beneficial to minimize rooted weed and FA growth problems that always occur in and plague shallow ponds. A Fresh start with a clean basin each year. A lot of fish farms do this sort of management each year to minimize weed problems. A Forage pond could be a good place to grow some YOY perch if GSF do not allow good YP or SMB recruitment in the larger pond. Some adult SFS and BNM 20-50 of each,,, each spring along with one ribbon of YP eggs would make this a very useful forage pond.
Maximum depth of 5ft - 6ft IMO is good especially if you do the annual draining and fish transfer. This avoids the common problem of winter fish kill due to deep snow cover and DO loss very common to MI ponds. Annual draining maximizes the amount of fish for transfer at the end of each growing season.
Drawing down the pond for fish kill: A. reduces the amount and cost of chemical that has recently doubled in price. B lowering the water level forces all fish in to a smaller basin that helps reduce the changes of small fish hiding in shallow tight cover where the rotenone concentration may not be high enough nor penetrate long enough to kill them. GSF are tolerant fish of low DO and require higher concentration of rotenone to effectively kill them. GSF are tough fish. I hauled an 8" GSF home out of water for 8 miles, put it in a bucket of water,,, it swam and survived. 1ppm rotenone kills BG & LMB. I use 3ppm to kill GSF.
IMO rotenone is not very practical for a strong ground water nor spring fed pond.
Until you get some 10" to 12" SMB going, feed all the trapped GSF to the racoons and opossums. .
Dewatering the forage pond each year is very beneficial for keeping the FA and rooted plants to a minimum. A forage pond full of algae and weeds makes it almost impossible for a good effective harvest of fish out of it.
Will your YP-Smb seller have some larger SMB with the YOY smallies?. I would try to get 6-12 larger SMB (6"-10") with the fingerlings that you by even if you have to go catch some of the larger ones form a local lake or stream to get some predation on the YOY GSF of the 2024 hatch. Well fed YOY GSF in Mid MI some can be 1.5" to maybe some 2" long by winter.
