If I had it to do over, knowing what I now know, I would not have renovated the old pond in 2015. I would have had it filled in, and not built the other two ponds in 2016. They have been money pits. The first one leaks, and I spent a lot of time and effort pumping into it. Finally got a good catfish population, then the otters and herons devastated everything in both the 1/4 acre ponds. All the wasted food...I could have bought all the ready to cook american catfish I could eat for the rest of my life. Herons ate 80% of the small CC that I was raising in the forage pond this summer.
Sorry for the negativity, but as the cliche says: It is what it is.
Owning a pond isn't all sunshine and rainbows, so your "negative" stories are appreciated. We learn more from our mistakes than our triumphs it seems. I hope I don't get Herons at my new pond, but I got a special surprise for them if they do
And I don't think we have otters where I'm at, at least I've never seen any or heard about them.
