Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations New spawning areas

I am planning on adding some spawning areas. I just wanted to get some advise on placement and rock type. My plan is to add some gravel in 3-5' water. Dose it matter what type of gravel I use. It is ok just to use normal gravel you would put on a road or do I need to use a more rounded and consistent gravel like pea gravel?

What kind of fish are you hoping to help spawn?

I'm going to get a load of pea gravel to put in the lowerline area to help with some additional spawning and then I want to work on sinking a couple of catfish areas (although I have been told that the big rock piles placed in various areas of the pond when built should suffice but I won't know that unless I see some baby catfish). Starting to get some more cattails growing in the lowerline and that seems to be quite the breeding area for baby bass to hide.

If for BG get plain washed gravel not pea gravel. Here is the link to the full story.

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=7617&fpart=1





If for SMB then you need a mix that includes some big rock. See this thread.

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=133192&fpart=1





Here is a RES bed.



LMB will use the same size as BG.

I like the idea of adding gravel but don't think it's really necessary. Bass and Bluegill will spawn in and on just about anything.

We had a heavy infestation of bushy pond weed a few years ago and when the drought hit and water receded, there were hundreds of beds on the BPW substrate.
I agree with Dave - LMB and BG will spawn "in and on just about anything".
I think gravel spawing beds are "pretty" but unnecessary cost and labor.

It is not so much about spawning as they will spawn. Its about % fry survival. In ponds that tend to be bass crowded with not enough BG forage , % survival to a bigger size can make a difference. The weight of BG fry increases a lot quickly in some cases doubling in mass over a couple days. If you can keep an extra 5% of the BG hatch alive for an extra 30-60 days you have helped. Gravel plus some plant or brush pile cover near by can do that. Now if you have a pond that tends to have BG stunting then maybe don't add any gravel. It depends !!

Isn't it also Eric about energy-thus weight gain. WIth prefferred site (i.e. gravel bed in proper depth)the bluegill havs to use less energy every time they spawn than in less desirable spawning location.

Never thought about that Greg. Very good point. Along that line of thinking a BG male that is overly stressed while spawning (losing to many babies to bad conditions)is much more likely to just leave the spawn attempt resulting in all the yoy being morts. It becomes a matter of energy saving to the male BG. He concludes that it will take to much of his energy to save the few yoy left so he opts for energy conservation and abandons the nest. This would effect much more harm in locations where there are limited spawning opportunities (1 or 2 spawning events - i.e. northern ponds).

One other key advantage to spawning gravel is that it provides lots of interstitial spaces that can favor a diverse array of macroinvertebrates. More aquatic insects = more food source for bluegill & others finned friends.