Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat Creating new structure in a 14 acre strip pit

I have a 14 acre strip pit located on the kansas missouri boarder about 50 miles south of kansas city. It recieves rain water from surrounding fields as well as being feed by a creek. It has a very established fish population of LMB, BG and Crappie. I know that there are CC as well having caught a 9 lb on a limb line but do not know how established the popultion is. We have a lot of vegetation along the banks(either Hydrilla Elodea or Egeria I am not for sure) Which provides cover but punishes you for poor casting and as the summer wears on the vegetaion moves father out from the banks. We also have several submerged tree that offer cover. Our pit is in the shape of a capital case "E" The state is moving one of the channels (the bottom of the E) for saftey reasons, so I am getting a blank canvas so to speak. To move the channel they have built a rock coffer dam, which a good part will remain after construction. The average depth of this section of the pit will only be 5-6ft (the rest varies from 30ft to 5 ft with the average I guess around 10-13ft). The section will be about 60ft wide and about 400 yards long. I have read other post which seem to be anti crappie but we regulary catch 16-20 in crappie and 3-6 lb bass, so they seem to be compatable for us. I enjoy that we can fish for a variety of fish, depending on the weather, season and who is fishing. What kind of things should I be doing to improve my habitat, while I have the state and their equipment? Thanks for your time and insights.

Get some elevation readings(how deep the water will be when the lake is full)
Have the equipment operators create channels, mounds, cuts in a pattern not exactly like a highway but kind of like a road
Do this at different levels and have them lead from one to the next, side to side and up and down.
This will give the fish travel lanes.
Any construction material that is left rocks, pipe place them where the fish will travel.

Thanks Otto...these "roads" how wide and deep should they be? I am invisioning somewhat of a grid, is that correct. This section of the pit will be a realitivly consistent 5-6ft. I have access to ceders but like the idea of PVC and have viewed some of the homemade structures on the forum so will probably use both--the PVC more where the kids will fish. Thanks again any further insights will be appreciated. Stephen

Hello Stephen, welcome to Pond Boss.

BCRaven32,

Are you near Hume, MO? I have a couple of clients in that general area. The ponds there are very unique. Give me a shout sometime if you'd like to discuss. I'll be down there sometime in April/May stocking fish, installing habitat and setting up feeders.

If the water stayes about the same level start the work about three feet below the surface and continue to the bottom like a srtip mine road. Not a solid, have some breaks. Ten to fifteen feet wide.
Look at pictures. Do a little dreaming.
Make a map of what you do. You will need it.

If you can get any pictures put them on the forum.

The engineer is to send me a site map, as soon as i get it I'll post it and see what you guys have to say. I have been reading though a lot of the post and have come up with several ideas, there is a lot of good info on this site...it is amazing...I am excited to see these ideas put to use.

Thanks

Shawn did you recieve my email?

Stephen,

I did receive your email, and I emailed you back using the Pond Boss PM system. I just checked to make sure, and it "says" it went through. I'll give you a call tomorrow. Sorry for the confusion. Thanks. Shawn

My father in law,he is a tinkerer and he got to talking with his coffee shop crew and they were telling him to paint the branches of the attracters and then roll them in cracked corn to help promote algae growth, he wanted me to see what your thoughts on that were…He has come up with a design using corrugated plastic---looks like cardboard but is plastic---bending it into and a shape with “feet” and then screwing the piping into the “a-frame” ..they would be in 8 ft sections---I am thinking the plastic comes in 4x8 or 3x8 sheets…you would weight them down by placing rocks on the “feet”: as soon as i figure out how to post a pic I'll submit a drawing...any thoughts? concerns about paint?

Stephen

I use krylon Fusion paint in my saltwater tanks with no ill effects on corals or fish. Pond fish are much tougher and should be fine. JMHO Hopefully one of the pond smart people will reply here.