Excited for 2023!

[Smells like fish]

Just bought 50+ acres and there’s a small pond on it which I’m gonna make bigger and make “Topwater Heaven”. It won’t be much but it’ll be mine and that’s enough!! I’m not sure yet on dimensions. 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

The definition of the American dream imho.   

 

That's fantastic, and I'm sure it took a lot of hard work to get there and will take more hard work to get the new pond built.

 

If you want excellent inspiration, check out BamaBass youtube channel.     

 

My ultimate bucket list item is to buy/build a 100-200acre lake and raise the next Alabama state LGM record.     

[Swamp Girl]

Congrats, Smells like Fish! A pond has been my lifelong dream, but it will never happen. I've simply circled the Sun too many times, but if Alex ever makes his dream pond a reality, I'll be pawing at his door, begging for five casts.

 

No, ten.

 

No, twenty.

 

No,....

[PressuredFishing]

Sounds great! 

[ScottW]

Congratulations on the new property! Looking forward to hearing how things progress. ?

[GRiver]

Congratulations on the property and the pond, getting the cooler down and the fold out lawn chair ready., got fishing gear already in the truck. hahaha. 
But really, I bet your stoked …send some pics

congratulations again.

[Bluebasser86]

It's a lot of work. Our last place had a pond. Very small but surrounded by cattails and held water well. Didn't have many if any fish when we moved in. I stocked baitfish, then bass after they were established. I doubt I caught 10 bass from that pond in the 2 years we lived there. Started stocking catfish instead and they did really well. Hopefully your experience goes better than mine did. 

[TnRiver46]

Congrats!!! I’m sure there will be hunting and trapping on this 50 acres as well 

 

eastern KY? 

[Darth-Baiter]

gah!!!  my dream is to have a good friend with 50 acres with a pond!

 

BFF!!!  i'll bring beer and chips to the first party.  

[Smells like fish]

1 hour ago, Bluebasser86 said:

It's a lot of work. Our last place had a pond. Very small but surrounded by cattails and held water well. Didn't have many if any fish when we moved in. I stocked baitfish, then bass after they were established. I doubt I caught 10 bass from that pond in the 2 years we lived there. Started stocking catfish instead and they did really well. Hopefully your experience goes better than mine did. 

I’m basically just gonna make what’s there bigger and dump in bass fingerlings and I’ll add minnows. My sister has a good sized pond and they did great when we stocked 2-4” fingerlings in there 2.5 years ago. 
 

This pic is my lil nephew from 10 days ago on a Yum lizard. In time he’ll have some fun there in numbers even if size doesn’t ever come. On a good day me and him can catch 5-10 there in an hour or 2. We are happy. 
 

@TnRiver46 yup and within walking distance from where I live although the plan is to move onto that piece! Yup, gonna put some steel in the dirt in the coming weeks for yote removal. Right beside the pond is their community bathroom with like 8-12 piles 

 

[TnRiver46]

3 minutes ago, Smells like fish said:

I’m basically just gonna make what’s there bigger and dump in bass fingerlings and I’ll add minnows. My sister has a good sized pond and they did great when we stocked 2-4” fingerlings in there 2.5 years ago. 
 

This pic is my lil nephew from 10 days ago on a Yum lizard. In time he’ll have some fun there in numbers even if size doesn’t ever come. On a good day me and him can catch 5-10 there in an hour or 2. We are happy. 
 

@TnRiver46 yup and within walking distance from where I live although the plan is to move onto that piece! Yup, gonna put some steel in the dirt in the coming weeks for yote removal. Right beside the pond is their community bathroom with like 8-12 piles 

 

Yote removal is like cutting the grass, they always grow back 

[Smells like fish]

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

Yote removal is like cutting the grass, they always grow back 

I’ll always be ready to cut lol

[WRB]

On 11/15/2022 at 9:16 AM, Smells like fish said:

I’m basically just gonna make what’s there bigger and dump in bass fingerlings and I’ll add minnows. My sister has a good sized pond and they did great when we stocked 2-4” fingerlings in there 2.5 years ago. 
 

This pic is my lil nephew from 10 days ago on a Yum lizard. In time he’ll have some fun there in numbers even if size doesn’t ever come. On a good day me and him can catch 5-10 there in an hour or 2. We are happy. 
 

@TnRiver46 yup and within walking distance from where I live although the plan is to move onto that piece! Yup, gonna put some steel in the dirt in the coming weeks for yote removal. Right beside the pond is their community bathroom with like 8-12 piles 

 

Suggest talking to Bob Lusk the Pond Boss?

Tom

[AlabamaSpothunter]

On 11/13/2022 at 10:31 PM, ol'crickety said:

Congrats, Smells like Fish! A pond has been my lifelong dream, but it will never happen. I've simply circled the Sun too many times, but if Alex ever makes his dream pond a reality, I'll be pawing at his door, begging for five casts.

 

No, ten.

 

No, twenty.

 

No,....

You'll be provided with one fishing shack, and one canoe....and I know you won't need a thing else ?

[Swamp Girl]

42 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

You'll be provided with one fishing shack, and one canoe....and I know you won't need a thing else ?

 

I. Am. Spartan!

 

This is me becoming slightly peeved if anyone suggests I need more than a canoe and a shack.

 

[Blue Raider Bob]

On 11/15/2022 at 11:16 AM, Smells like fish said:

I’m basically just gonna make what’s there bigger and dump in bass fingerlings and I’ll add minnows. My sister has a good sized pond and they did great when we stocked 2-4” fingerlings in there 2.5 years ago. 
 

This pic is my lil nephew from 10 days ago on a Yum lizard. In time he’ll have some fun there in numbers even if size doesn’t ever come. On a good day me and him can catch 5-10 there in an hour or 2. We are happy. 
 

@TnRiver46 yup and within walking distance from where I live although the plan is to move onto that piece! Yup, gonna put some steel in the dirt in the coming weeks for yote removal. Right beside the pond is their community bathroom with like 8-12 piles 

 

Jones Fish farms will deliver to your area. You can get loads of Tuffy/Fathead minnows by the pound for cheap. I started my pond that way. They have a variety called Rosy Reds. These fatheads are pink! It was a pleasure to see these huge moving schools of pink minnows in my pond! Then I introduced adult bass and bluegill. They have spawned successfully for the four year life of the pond. Now I have all sizes and age classes of both. Interestingly enough, I've read several articles about pond health that recommend only the bass blue gill combo. The Channel cats compete with the bluegills and unless you plan on eating the cats, it's best to leave them out. I don't eat my pond fish so I followed their advice.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

3 hours ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

Jones Fish farms will deliver to your area. You can get loads of Tuffy/Fathead minnows by the pound for cheap. I started my pond that way. They have a variety called Rosy Reds. These fatheads are pink! It was a pleasure to see these huge moving schools of pink minnows in my pond! Then I introduced adult bass and bluegill. They have spawned successfully for the four year life of the pond. Now I have all sizes and age classes of both. Interestingly enough, I've read several articles about pond health that recommend only the bass blue gill combo. The Channel cats compete with the bluegills and unless you plan on eating the cats, it's best to leave them out. I don't eat my pond fish so I followed their advice.

That's the correct advice, and advice given by SE Pond Management who are the gurus of pond/small lake health in my area.

 

The smaller the pond, the more you really need to think if Catfish are worth the detriment to Bass population.    

 

You should do winter small stockings of Rainbows in your pond.     Then aggressively feed your bream as studies have shown a pond can support significantly larger biomass when using fish feeders.    You'll have a DD swimming in there in no time ?   

[ScottW]

1 hour ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

That's the correct advice, and advice given by SE Pond Management who are the gurus of pond/small lake health in my area.

That’s who keeps our pond at its best. Nice folks who know their stuff. ?

[Blue Raider Bob]

14 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

That's the correct advice, and advice given by SE Pond Management who are the gurus of pond/small lake health in my area.

 

The smaller the pond, the more you really need to think if Catfish are worth the detriment to Bass population.    

 

You should do winter small stockings of Rainbows in your pond.     Then aggressively feed your bream as studies have shown a pond can support significantly larger biomass when using fish feeders.    You'll have a DD swimming in there in no time ?   

I use an automatic solar powered fish feeder by Moultrie. You can set number of feedings as well as amounts of feed per meal. Really enjoy the mealtimes. The Bluegill suddenly appear and occasionally a LM will crash the party! Kind of hard to tell in the picture but the feeder is on the dock.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

3 minutes ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

I use an automatic solar powered fish feeder by Moultrie. You can set number of feedings as well as amounts of feed per meal. Really enjoy the mealtimes. The Bluegill suddenly appear and occasionally a LM will crash the party! Kind of hard to tell in the picture but the feeder is on the dock.

So beautiful Bob, what a piece of paradise you've built.

 

I can see the feeder.   I'm going to buy one just like it.   Wish I could convert my deer feeder. 

 

Do you use the Purina Gamefish Chow.....about 60bucks a bag.    I love watching the volcano of fish when feeders go off.   The entire food chain including birds get it on the action.  

[Blue Raider Bob]

1 hour ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

So beautiful Bob, what a piece of paradise you've built.

 

I can see the feeder.   I'm going to buy one just like it.   Wish I could convert my deer feeder. 

 

Do you use the Purina Gamefish Chow.....about 60bucks a bag.    I love watching the volcano of fish when feeders go off.   The entire food chain including birds get it on the action.  

I have used the Purina Gamefish chow. My local co-op sells a floating feed for 20 bucks a bag but I have settled on a fish feed from TSC that the fish really like. The blue gill like to let it sit for a few minutes to soften up a bit. Then they will finish it off. This time of year with cooler water has really had an effect. They barely will feed at all.

Thanks for the kind words. It took quite a while but fish-brains like us do not give up!