I'm very interested to hear a few forum members state their three greatest wishes for their pond or ponds this year.

It could be something like a particular size of largemouth or crappie...

Or a certain visual or landscaping effect...

Maybe a little more esoteric such as a mood or ambiance...

Anything goes! Let's hear 'em. I'll add mine in a day or two.

Boy, where to start? This is like being a kid in a candy store.

Catch more of my channel cats and restock with some 10 to 12 inch ones.

Try to establish some coppernose now that Lusk has enlightened me. Check back in 3 or 4 years to find out if they really do outgrow my bluegills. I hope they do; kinda hate to hurt Bobby Lusks feelings.

See if tilapia really can make a difference. I'm nervous about this. On the one hand, I would like to throw some more forage to my bass and channel cats. This would really add to a bluegill base by taking some of the pressure off. It should give some relief to newly stocked coppernose. However, I worry about biomass problems. In Northwest Texas, summertime rain is a rarity and evaporation is not. Our water levels and actual acreage can shrink pretty drastically. The result can be an overstocked water hole, DO crash and a fouled body of water. This variance in water volume is what has turned me against fertilizing. Spooky thoughts.

Hey, I just realized that my wishes and goals are constrained by 2 four letter words. R-A-I-N & C-A-S-H. Better throw in another one. W-I-F-E.

Let's see three or so aspirations for this year:

1) First has to be to finish the DIY renovation of an old 1/4 acre hole into a new 2 acre bass pond. Started this project late last summer but got caught short by fall rains. The new pond is about 3 feet short from being completed, but is full at this point. I hope to raise the dam 3 feet in another couple of months and then bring in the F1 bass. It is already stocked with fatheads and coppernose.

2) Add another 50 Hybrid striped bass to the 3.5 acre pond. Because of #1 above, I don't have time to grow them out like George is doing, but hope to find 8 inch stockers.

3) reload for another season of Tilapia. What a great fish!

4) Electroshock my 3.5 acre pond to get a baseline...any suggestions here are welcome

5) enjoy....but when do we get time?

Ohh, use Bruce's and George's PomPoms in # 5 above. Thanks guys.

my goals for a pond would be very catchable numbers of 5 pound channel cats, pound plus crappie, and a healthy number of large green sunfish bluegill hybrids!!

1.) Put in one pond each for feed trained brook, brown, rainbows, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill, black crappie and walleye and grow them all out to trophy proportions and smaller sizes need for taxidermy schools all over the country. I'm already doing that with trout, bass, and yellow perch.

2.) Hatch and produce my own feed trained fish to eliminate hauling and undependable suppliers.

3.) Install a raceway and circular tanks for trout fry and other species before they go into the ponds. Upgrade my well pump to 60 gpms if necessary and finish a pilot program to remove iron.

4.Keep up with the demand of my customers. (Not long after I list fish they get wiped out) I hate saying, "No I'm all out right now."

5.) Break a few state records just for fun as in my state as long as I don't charge to fish (main method of harvest) and fish are taken by hook and line they are legitimate candidates for state records. I did break the state record for brook trout a year ago, but I did not enter the fish. I think I may have a shot at breaking the yellow perch record of 2 lbs. 8 oz. in another year.

5.) Eventually do part-time consulting for prospective fish farmers in my area for a Co-op my state aquaculture organzation is hoping to start up.

Dirt work is finally finished leaving us with a little over 4 acres of water and 7 islands totaling a little over an acre. This year will be mostly devoted to landscaping the area.

This winter, we're building a heavy duty dock that is 8' X 32'. We will do everything but the decking this winter. When the ice goes out, we will fill the area under the dock with concrete blocks and then put on the decking. This winter, we are also taking hundreds of concrete blocks out to different places along the islands.

As far as fish go, I plan on taking out most of the 4-8 lb. channel catfish and just leave the few little and big ones. Catfish don't seem to add too much to our fishery. We will also add some more goldeyes, freshwater drum, sauger, walleye and pumpkinseeds. With all of our non-reproducing species, constant restocking is necessary.

Cecil, I like your ambitions. When you wish, you really knock it out of the park! Whoever is in second place behind you is a long way back. Great Goals.

Dave

Nice topic, Bruce.

For me:

1) Get my '04 stocked SMBs to 9" or 10" size range

2) Continue on my long list of structure additions including X-mas trees, pallets, rocks, tires, and old furniture.

3) Bust at least one of the persons who are poaching fish from my pond and make a harsh example out of them.

1) I want my June 2003 stocked LMB to spawn and provide seine haul or angling proof of same. The largest were 15 inches long going into the Winter, so I can hope.

2) I want my LMB and 3 to 6 lbs Channel Cats to (seriously) reduce the percentage of pond biomass Golden Shiners are comprising.

3) I want to catch enough Bluegills to make a fish dinner for four once a week for a 6 month period, with some help from the Redears.

I want to find and purchase a good pond site in the vicinity of Cooperstown, NY.

Pond envy is a terrible thing!

Ken

My first wish for the year is to sucessfully pursue our current experimental HSB program to prove viability of “growing out” fingerling HSB in ¼ acre pond and transferring to 2 acre pond when large enough to avoid LMB predation.

Secondly, follow Meadowlark's lead on stocking tilapia

Third,to maintain a healthy and diverse population of BG, LMB and HSB in our N.E. Texas ponds.

My most important wish is to maintain good health, and be able to enjoy our ponds with family and good friends.

Life is good…

George Glazener

I'm wishing for the following:

1. I'd like to see a kid, one of my daughters or nephews maybe, catch a 2 1/2 pound bluegill.

2. I'd like to have friends over for a beer on my dock as often as possible.

3. I'd like to find a new fish species to be as passionate about as I am for bluegill and striped bass hybrids.

Number 1) Find more money to spend on my pond!

2) Make it as beautiful as I see it in my mind.

3) Grow huge SMB & Walleye.

My first and foremost wish would be to see my young twin nephews catch their first fish this year, because that's just what it's all about. Second would be to find the time to do some serious brushhogging and landscaping to begin the process of making the land parklike. Third would be to add some much needed structure. With a little luck and work I think these can happen this year.

Jimmy

I only want one simple thing for my pond.
I want a permit to build it. I bought the property, cleared the land, and was just about ready to start having the dam built, when a county inspector showed up and asked "whatcha doin' here?" Long story short, it's now 3 months later, and I can't get the ACoE, NRCS, or county to as much as tell me what I need to do to get a permit. The ACoE just tells me that I "might" have to pay "mitigation" fees of up to $200,000!
Yea, right. Why don't they just tell me "NO, you can't build a pond."

I wish for the following three miracles:

1) That my new pond (built in July) stop losing the 6 inches a month that it is losing.

2) That if it doesn't "settle in" and stop losing water, a well will prove practical.

3) That fixing it doesn't lead to a divorce.