Pond decision --> need advice.

[YAWN]

So tried out the new fish finder on the pond get an exact depth reading.

Max depth was: 7ft

Average: 4ft

Bottom: mud and sticks from the beaver.

Clarity: very ver clear.

Pond size: 75m * 40m not all idea habitat a lot is like 1-2 ft only.

Last year put in couple hundred minnows, saw a few of them swimming around and pickled up 10 fish on the fish finder on Sunday nothing huge around 8". I assume there the trout from last year so some made it.

Now I gotta make some decisions, should I add something like Perch or Crappie or even maybe just some cats? I've read they get stunted growth in ponds and over take everything so not sure?

I don't think trout will thrive in here so I doubt in the long run stocking trout is the was to go.

More about a food source for that Blue Heron I like that lives there in summer and home for the beaver of course.

Any help would be appreciate casue once I add it there is no going back!

Just cost too much to dig it all out way too much!

TX

 

[Bigfisherman]

Check this site out http://www.puresprings.com/faqs.html has lots of info for trout stocking.

I think beavers like to eat trout/fish in general. I would think Bass is your best bet, but I don't know much about stocking ponds.

 

[YAWN]

I too though bevers eat fish but in fact thats a myth, they will kill fish in there area but do not feed on them is what I found out never new that.

 

[Bigfisherman]

I too though bevers eat fish but in fact thats a myth, they will kill fish in there area but do not feed on them is what I found out never new that.

I learned the hard way a beaver attacked me after releasing a trout, I figured it was pissed cause I was messing with its food. Those things are mean especially when it smacks its tale at you. good thing I had boots on it might of got me if I would have gotten stuck in the mud.

 

[frozenfire]

i always htought beavers were purely herbviorous...

otters on the other hand are fish eaters.

 

[balapickerel]

while you could allways resort to making a koipond out of it but then you wouldn't really fish in it, i think one thing that would definately help out the fish would be some sort of pump to oxygenate the water, if the water is really crean all year and you can get a pump to oxygenate it and it's in the shade so it doesn't get too warm, than you could go with brook trout, they are beautiful fish and can live in shallow water like five feet avarage

 

[balapickerel]

by the way, hasn't the water level gone up from all the rain, cause if it has your reading are probably off

 

[YAWN]

No the water level does not rise but it does fall a bit in summer as it's not spring feds. And becuase there is a swamp/ wetland on the far side of the prperty a good two acers of wet land that gets flooded right over with a good foot of water which prevent the pond level from rising.

I could get the canoe abut 50M into the swamp past the edge of the pond on sunday.

Thats arration system seems like the best bet. But I want one powered by the wind which can be placed on the island and left to do it's thing.

TX

 

[balapickerel]

the idea of getting a wind powered pump is cool, but how windy is the yard? would the wind just generate the electricity, or would you design one where the wind turns the propelers and lifts up buckets of water that emty into a track so it splashes when it hits the water, and in sequence oxygenates it

 

[YAWN]

It must be windy as there are somthing like 80 giant wind turbines all around us up there so I don't think wind is a problem.

http://www.superiorwindmill.com/price_list.asp

Something like that is what I want. But for that price I could get someone in for a day to dig it deeper.

 

[balapickerel]

you wouldn't want to dig in the pond, it would be better to dig beside it and the connect the two, wich you could do your self, it would just be harder, but maybe some of us would help you dig

 

[diggyj]

I would put some bass in there. they will thrive quite nicely.

Dirk

 

[balapickerel]

how shady is your pond? if it's in the sun all the time than your gonna need to put something up to provide shade for some fish

 

[frozenfire]

Honestly, I would skip the whole trout idea and just go with bass.
I would however throw in some perch/sunfish/crappie as well, they will eventually become food sources for your bass.
Since the pond is not connected to anything, I don't beleive you have to contact OMNR about this.

From all the pond bass fishing I've done thanks to this forum, I am confident you can raise some VERY NICE bass in a few years.

What kind of structure does the pond have?
Like rocks, submerged vegetation, etc?

Do NOT worry about the beaver, it will not affect your fish, but it will however, affect your vegetation around the pond, which can affect shade.

My main worry would be the clarity.

In terms of oxygen content, if it's big enough and there is enough surface agitation from the wind, it's good enough.

 

[YAWN]

What kind of structure does the pond have?
Last year planted about 20 pine trees on one side and a few on the island but there still small just 3-4ft tall long time before they become shelter/shade. All the nice poplars that were decent size became breakfest lunch and dinner for the beaver.

I floated a old dock around back of the island out of view and some habitat for the fish.

As for the beaver I like him he stays!

Bass it is then. Now i just gotta find em.

TX

 

[balapickerel]

[quote="frozenfire"
Since the pond is not connected to anything, I don't beleive you have to contact OMNR about this.

[/quote]

if he wants to be legal about this, he is by law required to pay something like 85 dollars to have someone from the ministry come and ok it :cry: and he also has to apply for a license allowing him to stock a pond with gamefish, but i really don't think any of us dislike him enough to rat him out, personaly i think it's awesome that he is doing this and am jealouse as hell :cry:

 

[fatfishie]

YAWN, thats awesome that you're going to make a pond! You are VERY lucky, believe me. I've been planning to have a pond somewhere on my property when I'm older as well. (PS I didn't say that the pond would be outside :cry: )

 

[frozenfire]

if he wants to be legal about this, he is by law required to pay something like 85 dollars to have someone from the ministry come and ok it :cry: and he also has to apply for a license allowing him to stock a pond with gamefish, but i really don't think any of us dislike him enough to rat him out, personaly i think it's awesome that he is doing this and am jealouse as hell :cry:

any more info on this? links?

 

[balapickerel]

to tell the truth no, i've spent hours looking for info on applying for one of these licences with no luck, the only reason i know this is beacause my mom works at canada lawbook and i read all the legal stuff she brings home about fishing, i'll ask her for a site tomorrow

 

[YAWN]

So I had a visit by Ducks unlimited today. Very nice people although they are early risers wow.

They basically said this:

Dredging the pond wont help as with it's location the silt will build right up again your looking at doing this every few years. And dredging will disturb all the wild life they don't encourage that.

As for the aeration system: Muddy shallow pond with large surface area is not ideal. Will just muddy the water and achieve nothing substantial for the cost involved.

They did some tests etc and said the pond should be able to support large mouth but isn't good enough for the trout currently in there.

The main reason they came though is because we have a explosion in Mallards this year about 50--60 pairs no kiddin up from like 3-4 last year.

So bottom line change the fish and do nothing.

Interesting tip they game about the beaver: Paint the base of trees with a sand/paint mix and he'll leave it.

Good people gotta say!