My pond

[CL]

Well i have owned 3 acres for about 3 years now but do not currently live there. I will in about 2 months, the house will be done then. We have a pond on my father-in-laws land that is next door that i will be fishing tomorrow. I have fished for bream a dozen times or so but never tried bass or catfish. I always assumed that the bream that were in it were from the very small stream that flows into it when it rains.

Well I found out that the people who used to own it stocked it. With what I don't know. The bream are not that big and there are turtles that need to be taken out. It's was about 25ft in the deepest when it was dug for cattle, hopefully it's not to much shallower.

Wish me luck, I hope there are so bass and catfish in there; If not, I will be stocking it.

[Bassnbrett101]

I wish you luck! have fun!  ;D

[ba7ss3in]

Good luck. Set traps for the turtles and make soup, it's pretty good.  

[Popeye]

I'd bet on cats, not so much bass. Throw a line out with some chicken liver on it and let it just lay on the bottom. Might be some carp in there too. If you're fishing early, try some topwater poppers or frogs for bass. IF that pond hasn't been fished much and there are any bass in it, then Senkos should drive them nuts. IMO.

[CL]

I'd bet on cats, not so much bass. Throw a line out with some chicken liver on it and let it just lay on the bottom. Might be some carp in there too. If you're fishing early, try some topwater poppers or frogs for bass. IF that pond hasn't been fished much and there are any bass in it, then Senkos should drive them nuts. IMO.

I've got senkos and catfish bait (dough ball shad from walmart). I'm taking a couple poles. I'll throw the cat line in and let it sit while i fish for bass.

[CL]

well i caught some bass and catfish. they were all small though. i'll be buying a 1000 minnows to put in there for growth. we did catch numerous bream.

is heres a little guy, caught him while reeling trying for bass at the time. he is only about 8 inches or so. but that means they are reproducing, just need more food.

[tyrius.]

is heres a little guy, caught him while reeling trying for bass at the time. he is only about 8 inches or so. but that means they are reproducing, just need more food.

Or it could mean that the fish are very overpopulated.  Prior to doing anything I'd fish it for a while and keep detailed notes of all of your catches (quantity, length, girth, weight).  The search for posts here made by Bob Lusk.  He provides great insight into what he terms relative weight.  If your fish are under this relative weight then you need to begin a harvest program.  Adding minnows will just be a very short term solution as they will be gone in a very short amout of time.

[CL]

im fine with having to put minnows in, even once a month. ($30 per 1000) but i do understand that i cant have 300 bass and 200 catfish in a 3/4 acre pond. I may need to stop throwing them back. There are turtles too that need to go.

This pond was stocked a very long time ago and i dont know what they put in there. so the fact there are still bass and cats make me happy. we are going to make the pond larger and also put an aerator in there. should help. we are also going to get a feeder as well. but still, i understand there is not enough water for 300-400 bass in that small of a pond.

[Bassnbrett101]

Try throwing shiners in there.  they grow fast and they'll populate quickly.  Plus they're a forage base for both catfish and bass

[Bob Lusk]

Hey guys, had a few minutes this morning and was reading through your thread. First, that catfish is a bullhead. (In Arkansas they're also called mudcat.) In the North, they are considered a spring time delicacy. In the South, they are considered a trash fish. They reproduce prolifically and the young can be one source of forage for overcrowded bass.

What are your goals? Do you want a "quantity" fishery, where you can catch lots of bass fast? Do you want a "balanced" pond, where all species of fish are able to thrive? The pond is small, so I wouldn't focus on trying to grow big bass.

The next question I would ask is what kind of budget you might have to spend and then I would guide you a little bit as how to plan to spend it. (Send me a pm and I'll respond)

Depending on your goals, there are elements you need that you may not have, and vice versa.

I will tell you this. Every minnow you toss in will be money wasted. Here's why. The fish which eat minnows in a pond are predator fish. Minnows are 80% water. That means minnows are converted 10 to 1. That means ten pounds of minnows grows one pound of bass. If you pay $30 for 1,000 minnnows which probably weigh about 6 pounds, that means you paid $5 per pound (My guess is that 1,000 minnows in Conway, Arkansas is more like $8-10 per pound from a bait dealer). If you pay $5 per pound for the minnows, it takes $50 worth of minnows for bass to gain a pound. That's like buying a Tootsie Roll Pop and giving it to my 3 yr old grandson. He'll like it, I'll feel like his grandad. We both feel pretty good but that little hunk of candy doesn't do a thing for him.

If the minnows were able to grow and reproduce and become selfsustaining, it would be a different story. But, the likelihood of you having overcrowded bass is high. With too many mouths to feed, the minnows would be gone in no time. I suspect you know that, since you are thinking about stocking them every month. I think your idea is logical, there's just a better way.

For that same $30 a month, you could pay for a high end feeder and have it paid off in 24 months. And for $1.50 a day, you could feed a high end feed to your bluegill and bullheads and triple that pond's ability to grow bigger and more bluegill (which will develop more eggs and have more babies to feed your bass) and tastier bullheads (they taste like what they eat). Feeding fish with a great feed like Aquamax is a much better way to go, dollar-wise.

[CL]

thank you very much bob. i'll be looking into everything you said.

[.dsaavedra.]

i dont know much about anything on this subject, but if i read correctly (and you typed correctly) that tiny 3/4 acre pond is 25 feet deep!?!?!?!?!? thats incredible. i wouldnt be suprised if you snagged a dead cow when bottom fishing in there. ;D

[CL]

yeah i guess they made it pretty deep. i dont know why, it works for the fish in the winter i bet.

i have not checked the depth to make sure that it is really that deep, i will in the next couple of months. im sure its shallower now just from erosion.

[Rayraff]

If you have a small inflatable tube I would go into the center and drop a sinker w/ a line and see how deep it is or you could get a pair of goggles and dive.

[CL]

If you have a small inflatable tube I would go into the center and drop a sinker w/ a line and see how deep it is or you could get a pair of goggles and dive.

ive got a buddy with a canoe, but we are to busy fishing other places right now to worry about it. but thats what i planed on doing.

[Cujo]

Bob Lusk is on aboard?!?!   Well that is awesome!!!