Our pond is a private pond and about 3/4 -1 acre. We've been trying to figure it out and do our pond research from the moment we got here. Fishing, swimming (nasty), stocking, cleaning, docks, boating, potential zipline over it; you name it, we've thought about it. Needless to say, it has been an exciting adventure and we decided to start by perfecting our fishing game.
We actually moved into a pretty well stock pond. Some of the fish (that we know of) we have in it are:
-Largemouth Bass
-Smallmouth bass
-Fathead Minnows
-Crappie
-Grass Carp
-Perch
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| A snapshot of the first fish ever caught by us (A Perch!) |
At the Farmers Feed Store, we bought a few more types of fish to add to our collection. The place selling them was Dunn's Fish Farm. They drove in in a big old truck filled with fish. We just got in line and waited to place our order from our car. It was kind of like going through McDonalds, but you got a bag of fish instead of a Quarter Pounder! Once we got home we had to acclimate them to the pond. Here's how you do it. Exciting stuff!
Take all your fish immediately to the pond they'll be living in after purchasing them. Try and keep the bags in the shade.
Next, open your bag and slowly add water from the pond into the bag. Continue this until the temperature in your bag is the same as the pond. This took us about 3-5 minutes per bag. Don't float the bags on the water!
Lastly, you want to release one or two fish into the pond and pay attention to if the fish is sluggish or if it just swims right off. If it swims right off, it is safe to release the rest of the fish in the bag. If not, then add more pond water to the bag and wait another 3-5 minutes before releasing. Always release your fish in the deepest section of the pond. So easy a kid can do it! Oh wait…she did. I was the photographer while this girl did all the work.
One thing I truly and deeply love about living on my little farm is the learning and work experiences it has provided for my kids. It has been a dream, really, and so fun to experience together.
And that's a wrap!
Oh, and here's some of the information we found and our opinion on the best fish to keep in a private pond and why. A lot of this info we got directly from Dunn's Fish Farm. Keep in mind that this is not a Koi pond and is treated differently. You probably wouldn't put grass carp or catfish in a Koi pond because they will eat all the vegetation. We're still learning of course, and all advice is welcome:
Largemouth Bass- This is the ever popular fish that brings fishing excitement to all! Largemouth Bass need a forage base of minnows and bluegill, since they will not feed on Commercial feed. The expected growth rate is 1/2-3/4 pounds per season. We actually had a neighbor catch an 8 pound bass out of our pond!
Hybrid Bluegill- This is the number one stocked fish for sport fishing. Crossed between the female green sunfish and the male bluegill, this fish will average one half to three quarters of a pound per growing season on commercial feed, and will reproduce 90% male to prevent overstocking. Hybrid bluegills will feed just like catfish on a commercial feed. The most common weight reached on these fish at full maturity is 2 - 2 1/2 pounds.
Coppernose Bluegill- Ideal for ponds where forage is a concern. These fish are predominately female making them much more prolific than the Hybrid Bluegill. They create much less competition then them also because they have a smaller mouth. They will feed on commercial feed. They will grow up to 1/2 pound per season on commercial feed. 1/4 per season on live forage.
Redear Beam (Shellcracker)- Worms that are found in fish have a three part life cycle. Birds- Snails- Fish. Pond and Lake owners should stock the Redear because they will eat the snails (hence the name shellcracker) thereby breaking this crucial part of the life cycle. All ponds and lakes are typically at risk since fish eating birds are typically present everywhere. If worms are already present it will take up to a year or more after the initial stocking of Redear Beam for the life cycle to run its course and the worms to be completely eradicated. These fish will only feed on commercial feed, but only on a limited basis. Pond and Lake owners will need to stock minnows and fertilize as they will rely heavily on plankton & minnows although they prefer snails. Growth rate is approx. 1/4 pound per growing season.
Fathead Minnows- The most important fish in your pond is the fathead minnow. Recommended for sport fish and catfish when not feeding a commercial feed. Will reach 3 inches in length and will reproduce. Average lifespan is 14 months. The man I worked with recommended we buy 5lbs per year.
Channel Catfish- Stocked alone or with other fish. Catfish will survive in almost any condition. Very seldom will catfish reproduce in a still pond, so they need to be restocked every year. Average growth rate is 1- 1 1/2 pounds per growing season.
Black Crappie- This fish should only be stocked in 1 acre or larger ponds. Black Crappie will not reproduce as much as the White Crappie so they will not overpopulate and will also reach a larger size. Black Crappie need a forage base of minnows and bluegill, since they will not feed on commercial feed. Average growth rate is a 1/4-1/2 pound per growing season
Grass Carp- Recommended instead of chemicals, this fish will not reproduce, or harm reproduction of other fish in the pond. They eat 3 times their body weight in vegetation per day and will not eat other fish. The vegetation is sucked through the mouth to the "teeth" in the throat. This way the pond is muddied by pulling moss out by the roots. Ten per vegetated acre is recommended to keep vegetation manageable. This fish is not sold in all states. The expected growth rate is 2-5 pounds per growing season. We have some of these in our pond and they are enormous!
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