So we are building a 3/4 acre pond in a “L” shape with the long line pointing North/South. Also, we are in central Louisiana. Should I make my shallow spawning areas on the North side as we normally have South winds during the summer or will it not make a difference? The short leg is East/West.
Thanks!
Hey Jeff, here's my $.02.
In the wild on large BOWs the northwest banks tend to warm faster as they are more directly influenced by the sun due to more exposure to the sun's rays. They also tend to be higher in O2 as southerly winds agitate those shoreline waters more.
In small ponds, such as ours, water temp is pretty uniform so that factor is eliminated. My shallower area is on the SE corner of my pond and that's where the majority of my spawning takes place. I do see some beds on other banks, but the fish go to where the best bottom is located.
BTW...I'm in SW Louisiana so our ponds will react much the same, tho you may get slightly cooler in the winter.
IMO, it's not going to matter. If you make the northern most end of your "L" shallow, that's where they'll go. Just as if you make the SE end of your "L" the shallows. I believe if you dug the pond with a 3-4 foot deep ledge all the way around it, they'd be spawning anywhere they found the best bottom for bedding. I'm not suggesting you do that, as shallow water also contributes to vegetation growth, which could be both good and bad depending on the type of vegetation.
Keep us up on your progress, Jeff. Always interested in hearing other pond adventures!!! You'll surely run into other issues that you may need answers for. You've got a great resource here!!