Pond Build Completed

[T.J. Clarke]

Our pond was just finished, and filling up with water due to all the rain.  Ended up with a kidney shaped 1.5 acre, 15 foot deep one....budget and topography limitations aside.  Lots of great advice from Contractor, and MDC.  Long talks with MDC pond expert were a huge help.  He countered much of what I was seeing on YouTube and was a great help.

Going to skip catfish, and do minnows, red ear, bluegill, and largemouth.  I am working hard now on cover crop/grass/whatever will grow, on shoreline.  Keep your fingers crossed!  Any luck, by the time my Grandson is old enough we can fish it together. 

[Quillback]

That is pretty neat, hope it provides you with some great fishing in the future.  

[Johnsfolly]

7 hours ago, T.J. Clarke said:

Our pond was just finished, and filling up with water due to all the rain.  Ended up with a kidney shaped 1.5 acre, 15 foot deep one....budget and topography limitations aside.  Lots of great advice from Contractor, and MDC.  Long talks with MDC pond expert were a huge help.  He countered much of what I was seeing on YouTube and was a great help.

Going to skip catfish, and do minnows, red ear, bluegill, and largemouth.  I am working hard now on cover crop/grass/whatever will grow, on shoreline.  Keep your fingers crossed!  Any luck, by the time my Grandson is old enough we can fish it together. 

Are you guys going to add any structure before it fills up? Should be a great spot to fish with family!

[jdmidwest]

That is what I was thinking.  Brushpiles and gravel areas for bedding and spawning.

[T.J. Clarke]

John,

Going to sink some things; cedar trees weighed with cement block, 3 large plastic drainpipes strapped into a pyramid shape, weighed with cement block, like tunnels.  Have some things in bottom already.  Over time some rock for the waterline.  4 inch rock for spillway.  Conservation told me pea gravel was a waste of money, said it was really not needed.  That surprised me b/c everyone says to do it.  I have some extra plastic 5 gallon buckets....may cement some plastic pipe upright into them in a fern pattern.  

[Hawg]

Nice site work there.

[ColdWaterFshr]

You also got a pool over there?

 

[BillT]

What species of minnows did they recommend?

[fishinwrench]

Back in '06 I dammed up a little spring fed ditch in an attempt to make a 1 acre test tank / fishing hole.    It didn't hold water though, never got more than 4' deep.   

[T.J. Clarke]

14 hours ago, BillT said:

What species of minnows did they recommend?

They recommend fatheads.  Plan on stocking the end of May.....fathead minnows, red ear, blue gill, bass, a few sterile carp.   No catfish.