Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations What would you NOT do again?

I figure there are two types of pond managers. One type knows what he wants and knows how to get it.

The other kind either does not know what he wants, or doesn't know how to get it, or just likes to experiment. Lack of time or money is also likely departure from traditional managment techniques.

If you are one of the later, you are bound to make decisions that don't turn out being the good idea they seemed when you decided to pursue them.

What - regarding pond construction, types of fish, plants, fish and wildlife habitat, anything - would you not do again, and why?

I bet most, if not all of the folks in the first category spent some serious time in the second category to begin with.

What would I NOT do again?

1) Bother putting HBG into a pond with regular BG. I don't thinks they have enough advantage in growth to justify worrying about managing around the Green Sunfish genes.

2) Stock GShiners in a pond where I (now) want to concentrate on big BG. They should be wonderful forage if you want big Bass; for big BG they're just competition.

3) Respond in any way to Cecil's April Fool's Day post.

Ed,

Neither of the categories of pond managers seems to fit me. What I wanted has evolved from the time I started and continues to evolve today as I learn more and more. Traditional techniques are guidelines only and not rigid rules to be followed. I firmly believe that not everything about pond management has been discovered and/or written about yet. Everyone’s situation is different and yet similar, to an extent. Mistakes can be the best learning tool…expensive and painful, yes, but also of the most value.

Pond Construction: In a perfect world, I would do the construction myself. However, time simply does not support this approach. At a minimum, I advocate a “hands-on” approach to construction in which the pond manager is involved in every decision affecting the eventual shape, size, and contours of the pond.

Types of Fish: Personal choice to a large extent, but many fail to think beyond the standard LMB and BG combination. Tilapia is an example of thinking outside the box to solve pond problems and meet objectives. HSB in many cases is a better choice of predator than LMB. Gizzard shad has a place in certain situations. Serious consideration of Florida strain vs native vs F1 should be taken. Recognition that fishing pressure and “learning” are real factors to be considered and should be used to develop more realistic expectations for our ponds.

Habitat: Again, use the traditional thinking as a guideline only…but think out of the box. Conventional says structure in 4 to 6 feet of water only…that’s BS. Make your deep water productive instead of just being a wasteland of oxygen depravation. Under water “islands” rising up out of the bottom depths is one way to accomplish this.

Chemicals: Not on your list, but an important consideration. Here, less is better, IMHO, and none at all is the ultimate if possible. I include all kinds of non-natural substances in this category, especially fertilizer.

Honestly, there is nothing I wouldn’t do again, mistakes included…it is a journey not a destination. It does not end with a LMB of 10 pounds or whatever; it is continuous until health or death overtakes us. The joy is in the journey, the learning, pushing the boundaries of understanding, not simply raising the biggest fish or building the biggest pond. The joy is what makes it all worthwhile.

Welcome back to the forum and don’t stay away so long next time.

As Meadowlark mentioned, I wished I would have been around more during the construction. Also, I would have made the pond larger, and not told the wife what the final cost was.

Meadowlark :

Great post. It is important to -1 learn as much as you can-2 think outside the box-3 research and ask for help-4 think about the + and - of the decision to be made , but-5 most of all enjoy the journey.

An important part of # 5 is to share the trip with others { kids, family, friends and fellow pond bosses}.

In that respect my mistake was to fail , early on , to include others and to delay subscribing to Pondboss and participate in this forum.

Every pond boss has made mistakes . Most come from not paying attention to #s 1-4 above . Nature has limits that no pond boss can avoid. Patience is usually rewarded.

Thanks--ewest

I would have researched pond building. I knew nothing.

Boy do I agree with Dave, I could have saved thousands of dollars and a lot of frustration if I had only found this site and did more home work before I started my pond.

Meadowlark, you've said it better than I've ever seen before. Thank you!

I wouldn't change our lake or the fish in our lake. However there are changes I would make if I were to build another. My goal is to provide fishing for people with "special needs" in groups.

I would stock SMB, white bass (not HSB) and rock bass as primary species with a few goldeyes and freshwater drum. I'm not sure what the forage species should be. Perhaps pumpkinseeds. All of these species are easy to catch and fight well.

I tell you one thing I would do, is make DANG sure I had enough water shed before I start building another lake.....Believe me, you don't want to have too little water shed..

Great post Meadowlark! Certainly sums up my thoughts especially the issue of construction. My first pond was pre-PondBoss and looking back, its been a learning experience.

Out of curiosity, how many pond owners can say that the first question (or one of the top three) that the "pond builder" asked was, "So what are your goals for this pond and what types of fish do you have in mind?" My mentality at the time was, lets dig a hole and put some fish in it.....

Russ

I would not stock channel catfish in our ponds with BG, Tilapia, LMB, and HSB.
They are a problem that I could do without - eating all the high protein fish food and stirring up the water.

I'm having second thoughts about LMB as well - they require intensive management whereas HSB don't reproduce, grow bigger, and in my opinion, easier to catch and fight harder.

My not do agains? I'm not sure I'd call it that; but I'd definitely change the order. I'd clean out topsoil first. Build sediment pond dams next. Then I would start working on the primary dam. I'd make sure the island was level, gazebo / etc. built and located on the island, and do contouring (ledges, underwater humps, ridges, etc.) and all that prior to completing the dam. For a long time, I really, really kicked myself for not putting a pipe with a drain valve through the bottom of the dam. Many times I still wish I had done that, but I'm no longer kicking myself about it. I think I will still do a drain valve / pipe on new smaller ponds, but it would have entailed additional risk ond a pretty big dam...

There are still a lot of things I'd like and intend to do when I have more discretionary time and money. At some point, you have to sit back and tell yourself it is very nice even if it isn't "perfect". Besides, I've almost come to realize that the planning and improving may almost be the best parts.

I would not have contacted the Army Corps of Engineers.

Meadowlark,

that is a very zen answer. I think you expressed what many of us feel about it. I expect those ponds to provide enjoyment to the end of my life.

As for the things I would not do again, they have more to do with changing goals, after what I wanted at first does not look as attractive anymore. For example, I would have stocked very few catfish, if any. At first they could not grow fast enough to satisfy me, now I can't eat them fast enough to keep them in check.

I would also have seined out all the swarms of bullheads last spring!

Rangersedge,

I know what you mean about the valve. But there is an easy fix for that. I tried drawing a crude picture of the siphon that we installed. We used 2" pipe. The downstream end is about 2' lower than inside the pond. We used a pump to fill the pipe, and ditch witch to burry it about 1' below the surface of the road on top or the dam. If you keep the pipe full, all you have to do is open the valve to start draining your pond. At the rate it was going, it looks like I could drain my 2/3 ac pond in two to 3 days.