My New Pond - looking for more ideas and knowledge

[BrianL]

ouch...... Did they use a sheepsfoot on the dam?

[Spearchunker]

ouch...... Did they use a sheepsfoot on the dam?

No, D8 compact

Leaking in the very bottom pool. First guy hit a gravel layer.

[BrianL]

Yeah and as they went up. Can't tell for sure from pictures, but that looks like good clay...

[BrianL]

That sucks.... I was scared of them hitting gravel layer when they dug mine, but I guess I got lucky as it was clay all the way down. Bentonite will hopefully get it plugged up!

[Spearchunker]

Yes or, good clay with exception of the gravel section. Have a plan for quick fill. Nearby creek so working up a pump idea now.

[BrianL]

Yes or, good clay with exception of the gravel section. Have a plan for quick fill. Nearby creek so working up a pump idea now.

I would NOT do that. You can't control what type of eggs/fish you will be pumping into the pond and could vastly hinder your fish stocking plans.

[Graysonhogs]

I would NOT do that. You can't control what type of eggs/fish you will be pumping into the pond and could vastly hinder your fish stocking plans.

Can't control it regardless.

[Spearchunker]

I would NOT do that. You can't control what type of eggs/fish you will be pumping into the pond and could vastly hinder your fish stocking plans.

That did cross my mind. I can go plan B. About 25 yards from the creek was an old pond about half acre or so. It was infilled with bricks and old concrete about 15 years ago. Trees and scrubs have grown all in it. We took a track hoe and hit water in a few feet. Went to 10' and still brick and water poured in fast. This is all flood plain with shallow water. Thinking set a 30" vertical culvert? Drop a pump and go. I think the brick has made one big gravel filter. Thoughts?

[Randallc]

Tag

[BrianL]

Don't have enough watershed to fill it? You will want to start with your bait fish, and they won't require a full pond. Based off you pond size you might start with 35# of fathead minnows, 500 Red eared sunfish, 3500 copper nose bluegill to start your food chain.

[DeerGeek]

Looks good. I would just keep it a trophy bass lake… don’t stock channel cats. You can always dig a small 1/2 acre cat only pond downstream of this one. Keep all your baitfish food chain in this new lake for bass growth.

[ww1984]

That did cross my mind. I can go plan B. About 25 yards from the creek was an old pond about half acre or so. It was infilled with bricks and old concrete about 15 years ago. Trees and scrubs have grown all in it. We took a track hoe and hit water in a few feet. Went to 10' and still brick and water poured in fast. This is all flood plain with shallow water. Thinking set a 30" vertical culvert? Drop a pump and go. I think the brick has made one big gravel filter. Thoughts?

Seems like a lot of extra work to me. Your first plan to pump from the creek would be the simplest. Birds, runoff, etc. is going to introduce undesirable species anyway. I've been waiting over a year for mine to get filled up before stocking, went out the other day with a beetle spin and caught several perch that birds have introduced from neighboring ponds. I plan to use rotenone before stocking, God willing, in the next couple months.

[Spearchunker]

Don't have enough watershed to fill it? You will want to start with your bait fish, and they won't require a full pond. Based off you pond size you might start with 35# of fathead minnows, 500 Red eared sunfish, 3500 copper nose bluegill to start your food chain.

I do have enough with several rains needed. I am impatient and want it full now lol.

Yes Black Bass only is the plan. I will cull anything else caught except bait fish.

I'll start pumping from the creek this week, I will post some pics when we start.

We disked in 90 tons of Bentonite, so hopefully she holds!

[Spearchunker]

"I plan to use rotenone before stocking, God willing, in the next couple months"

ww1984, What other fish are you trying to kill? Will they not just get reintroduced again?

[ww1984]

"I plan to use rotenone before stocking, God willing, in the next couple months"

ww1984, What other fish are you trying to kill? Will they not just get reintroduced again?

I plan to kill all fish that are in there before stocking. I'm sure they will be reintroduced but the way I see it is they have been established without predator fish controlling them. Id rather start fresh and hope that after I establish predator fish they will more efficiently control the undesirable fish as they become introduced. Probably a flawed theory but it would make me feel better .