1/2 Acre bass pond

72doug2,2S · 72doug2,2S's Garage

I'm having a contractor dig a 1/2 acre bass pond. Any suggestions?

I would like something more than just a big hole in the ground.

KFC911 · 05-01-2007, 08:27 AM

What's going to be the water source? In my limited experience, without one, all you'll have is a big 'ole mud puddle

id10t · 05-01-2007, 08:33 AM

Some deeper areas, some shallower areas, put some big rocks, etc. in there, maybe a downed tree. Build/plan your cover now, while it is dry and easy

lendaddy · 05-01-2007, 09:05 AM

My father bought an old D9 dozer and dug his own 2-3 acre pond. The deep are is 25'-30'. He stocked it with fathead minnows, hybrid gills and walleye. Everything has thrived and the poind is very healthy. Best thing he's done recently was to use green dye in the spring to retard weed growth.

There are entire classes you can take on maintaining small ponds and lakes.

Aerkuld · Aerkuld's Garage

If you had mentioned it earlier you could have just moved down here and bought my house - it already has one.

This was made before I bought the house, but it appears to have been made by building an earth dam at the end of a small depression. It's probably about 2 acres and 70ft deep at the wide end and comes all the way up to shallows at the other.

There are trees around probably 2/3rd's and there appear to be several trunks and stumps below the water as you get to the deeper part. The average size fish seem to hang around in the mid shallows (about 10ft deep) most of the time although there are ocassionally some fairly big ones come down the the very shallow end to bask in the sun. There are supposed to be some big catfish in the deep part but I never caught one.

KFC911 · 05-01-2007, 09:27 AM

Here's a quick link I found, and I'm sure there are plenty more:

http://www.fieldandstream.com/fieldstream/fishing/article/0,13199,631092,00.html

M.D. Holloway · 05-01-2007, 09:32 AM

You may even want to get your local college and Boy Scouts involved. Zoology and Biology students are always looking for various eco projects to do for independent studies or thesis work, civil engineers as well. Doesn't have to be anything complicated.

Also, this could make for some interesting Eagle Scout project. I can think of about 10 small projects that they could get involved with that would increase the lifelihood of a successful Bass pond.

72doug2,2S · 72doug2,2S's Garage

Nice looking pond.

I just came back from the build site where they're digging away.

This is NE Indiana with abounding ponds everywhere. It's kind of like the unwritten law here, you must have a pond and at least a 3 car garage. Apparently it will be filled from a new well + rain.

My plan is for a fish channel on the side (like a deep sand bar) with some cut outs for access to the center from the sides.
Right now, I'm thinking catfish, bass, and Crappie.

I got the combo deal basement and leach field, then I super-sized it with a pond. I would not have gotten away with this (speaking of the wife) if it wasn't for the Geothermal heating.

When is the next bass pond 101 course?

vash · vash's Garage

damn, almost too jealous to answer. but, that guy that host the bass tournament (his name escapes me) he just wrote an article for some magazine. i think outdoor life. he has some floating piers that he calls fish islands, or something. look him up, he gives free advice. well, anyways, he is trying to become the guru of bass ponds. he compares it to designing golf courses...

72doug2,2S · 72doug2,2S's Garage

Aerkuld (AKA Mark),

Does it come with your collection of scotch? Hmmm.

Aerkuld · Aerkuld's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by 72doug2,2S
Aerkuld (AKA Mark),

Does it come with your collection of scotch? Hmmm.

Doug - Part of me is reluctant to see the house go, but it's all tied up in my divorce. On the other hand my ex-has been living there at my expense for the past two and a half years, so in that sense I'm glad to see the back of it.

Fortunately for me I get to keep all of the Scotch and the car.

pookie · 05-02-2007, 05:23 AM

Might also want to contact local wildlife management or department of natural resources. If you are building it as a habitat they might work with you on stocking it.

fuelie600 · 05-02-2007, 05:34 AM

Check with some of the fish suppliers in your area, they can give you a stocking plan based on the volume of water in the finished pond. The plan provides a balanced food chain. It will also include a harvesting plan to keep things in balance down the road. We used http://www.jonesfish.com/

You will want to have a few grass carp( Triploid White Amur). I built a 3 acre pond a few years ago. We stocked striped bass, large mouth, blue gill, red-ear, grass carp and lots of minnows.

The grass carp control the moss that tries to take over the pond. The stuff would grow like crazy in late spring and the carp would clear the whole pond in about 2 weeks. We had 12 in the pond. They were 10 inches when we put them in and grew to about 2 feet in 2 years!!

Unfortunately, we sold the place about the time the bass were around 12 inches. The fishing was incredible.

72doug2,2S · 72doug2,2S's Garage

Thanks for the info here. I think the fish suppliers is a good start, and a local ag or school group could be the objective source. Between the two I should be alright.

nineoneone · 05-02-2007, 06:04 AM

My pond is only about 1½ acres and not that deep. I have had the DNR out to look at it and they were happy it was so healthy. Small spring feed lake (pond) But I have what they call Watershield plants that cover the top of the water. There are fish but we don't fish it because of the plant life. I have done some research to find out that I need to put a chemical called 24-D granular in the lake to kill the watershield. It is very tuff stuff. I would like to clean it out one day but it only takes time and something I don't have Money.

Tim Hancock · 05-02-2007, 06:17 AM

I have about a 1/2 acre pond that was dug about 35 years ago. It is stocked with Bluegill, Smallmouth Bass and 5 White Amurs.

We treat it occasionally with a bit of Aqua shade and a copper sulfate type product to knock out the occasional algae outbreak in the summer. I started feeding the Bluegill with cheap catfish food a couple years ago mainly cause it is fun to watch them follow you around the banks waiting for a free handout. The Bass never eat the food, but instead, they stay a few feet out watching the Bluegill. On occasion they suddenly "pounce" on a small Bluegill which is fun to watch. The plethora of Bluegill to feast on, make it somewhat difficult to catch Bass on fake lures, but once in a while, I reel a big one in.

I can tell you that 1/2 acre is too small to enjoy a Jetski on!