It has been quite some time since I have posted on the site. Hope all is well with ya'll. I need some advice. It looks like I'm buying a place in Montana near Big Sky. I am wanting to build @ 2 acre pond site. We have built a couple of lakes on our ranch in Tx and Mike Otto built them. I am at very beginning stages but have a few basic questions.
-Any pond builders you would recommend near Big Sky MT?
-Clay content in Rocky Mountain states or do you pretty much do liners?
-How hard is it to do trout and what would be there forage?
-Types of trout recommended?
-Recommended max depth?
-Aerator required or well running across rocks to pond better?
-Any other thoughts you might have?


Many thanks in advance.


Buzz

Is there a local ncs agent you can call?

Aren't there yet. Have not closed on the property. Just trying to get some preliminary thoughts.

Send a PM to Dave Willis.

Actually, I do have a contact in Montana. I sent him an email this morning, asking him if I could get Buzz in touch with him. I haven't heard back from my contact yet. Hang in there just a bit, Buzz.

Hey Buzz, did you ever cull the numbers of bass that you needed to?

Hi Buzz. I finally heard back from my Montana contact.

Here is the web page for the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks pond information. It appears complicated to complete pond development. However, the private pond application has a phone number to call for private contractors who build ponds.

http://fwp.mt.gov/fishing/license/applications.html#pondsAndStreams

At the same site, they have a list of the private fish hatcheries that can provide fish for you. I see that several of them have different subspecies of cutthroat trout. Some of those cutthroats are just gorgeous. If it was me, I'd sure be thinking of cutthroats, I believe.

Hope this helps.

Sorry guys didn't check lately. Thank you Dave W. I will definitely use that link. I appreciate you doing that.

Dave D. yes we have been doing pretty well on culling. We actually built another 5-6 acre pond and have needed to stock that so it has worked out for at least one more year. We also put in Tilapia one year on the lake we were culling from and did Threadfin last year. The winter killed the threadfin so we are fixing to redo the threadfin. Bass have definitely gotten chunkier.

On the cutthroat it is my understanding they are more problematic(sensitive)as far as for ponds. Heat, oxygen, etc...
My understanding is browns cannibalize and then have a tendency to get wise on being caught. What little reading I have done so far says Rainbows are the best mix. I'm still reading. I was kind of hoping Cecil would weigh in at some point. At the beginning of learning curve.

Thanks guys and nice talking to you,

Buzz

If it helps at all, I stocked Rainbows and Golden Rainbows last October. The goldens are more aggressive towards lures, and I catch them 2x or 3x more than the rainbows.