digging out an old farm pond

Cornflk1

Am currently digging out an old pond. The deep end will now have a 15 ft. pool about 50x100. The overall surface area will be apx. 2 acre. I'm planning on a post type dock about 8ft wide coming out, right to the edge of the deep pool. plan on planting some willows on the west side with the other sides open. I live in central IN., any ideas would be appreciated. When it refills this winter, will restock with bass, hybrid bluegill, catfish. Thanks in advance

asop

Did this once along time ago at our duck club. VERY gravely and had to feed the stocked fish for the frist year as veg. took that long to be of any value. Great project with alot of rewards in years to come. Good Luck Your local farm agent may be of help also.

Liv2Fish

I would be careful with the willows they will take over and they are a pain to get rid of once they started.

mrbruce

You will need to provide lots of underwater cover for the new fish. I drug a lot of old tree stumps into mine and piled them into both deep and shallow spots.....
I put feeder minnows into it the first few years but it's self sustaining now, and I have some pretty nice bass in it.....
Here's my little fishing buddy with one of them. He kissed it goodbye and turned it loose..

BOBBYWINS

Minnows.


Gotta have minnows.

Only took a dozen from the local bait shop to get mine goin'.

As far as the dock goes,I've been lookin' for an old pontoon boat ta slip into my pond.

BW

Liv2Fish

I was told that you should put Fathead minnows several pounds a year before you stock fish to get things really kicked up and going. I agree with mrbruce now is the time to put your structure in. Big rock piles,stumps, X wifes whatever. Ray Scott the founder of BASS has some great tapes whoops cd's that will help you out.


Good Fishin

owen219

Go to the junk yard and get some old cloth dryers and put them in the deep end leaving the doors off or propped open. Fish love to get in them and congregate around them. Easy to cast to with hanging up much.

Cornflk1

have been busy (on the advice of a buddy) making "tree" structures out of various sizes of PVC pipe, glued together with several holes drilled. Hook won't catch on PVC.

Also have made some catfish nesting sites, out of 2 plastic 5 gal buckets glued together and weighted down. Cut hole in one end for mamma, put in some rocks for her to lay her eggs on and drilled small holes for the little ones to escape when they hatch.

joshmb1982

id also be carefull with the willow trees. them things soak up a whole lot of water and not sure if its true or not but i saw on some tv show nce whre there was like 2-3 mile stretch of a river that had nothing but willows on the banks and no fish in that part of the river. said the willows put off some kind of toxin. again. im not sure if that true or not and there were thousands of willws all ined up on that river. but you never know. i can think ove a hundred trees id rather plant then a willow.