Farm pond question.

[Oldcountryboy]

I'd like to have 2 ponds on my property. One for catfish, and one for hybrid perch. But my property isn't very big, so what would be the minimum size I should go with and still be able to raise a nice quantity of fish for our table?

[francismilker]

I'm a fan of farm ponds and like to dam up about any gulce, ditch, or ravine on my place to create more water and more fish habitat. From what I've learned, it's not necessarily how big in diameter you make a pond, it also depends a lot on how deep you are able to make it. I've got some ponds that are near 1/2 acre but only 8' deep. Even if they hold water all summer and don't dry up they rarely have water cool enough for a good fish reproduction.

[fishhead]

Well managed ponds in the south can produce up to 500 lb of bass/bluegill per acre.

[oz in SC V2.0]

What is the simplest method of building a pond/ponds?

We have several very small streams on our property that I imagine could be used to keep water flowing into the pond,but is this something best left to 'experts' or do you just rent a backhoe and dig a hole?

[Alice In TX/MO]

http://www.naturalenviro.com/Article...uild-Farm-Pond

http://www.abcponds.com/ponds-mainta...-farm-pond.htm

http://msucares.com/wildfish/fisheri...ing/index.html

[BarbadosSheep]

you need to check the laws in your area regarding digging into a stream to make a pond. In most places, it is highly illegal and the EPA will cause you a lot of trouble. ask me how I know this. Thank God we did not actually dig in the creek, just next to it. They told us the fine for disturbing the creek starts at $100K and goes up from there. So anyway...back to your pond. Instead of digging two smaller ponds, dig one big one. It's easier to manage larger water. Instead of raising the catfish loose in the pond, look into cage culture. you can raise 600 catfish from fingerling size to harvest size in a 4x4x8 floating cage. It's amazing how easy it is.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Might want to experiment with a used swimming pool, see how much you can raise in your location, then scale up from there...

[Rusty'sDog]

Here is a pretty good 50 page book on building/maintaining ponds (free PDF):

p1428.pdf (application/pdf Object)

[CesumPec]

Originally Posted by Rusty'sDog

Here is a pretty good 50 page book on building/maintaining ponds (free PDF):

p1428.pdf (application/pdf Object)

great info, thanks for posting

[texican]

Originally Posted by oz in SC V2.0

What is the simplest method of building a pond/ponds?

We have several very small streams on our property that I imagine could be used to keep water flowing into the pond,but is this something best left to 'experts' or do you just rent a backhoe and dig a hole?

Trackhoe and a dozer are the simplest, cheapest way.... cut a hole for the dam site, pulling the topsoil off, down to clay, then digging clay out in the pond side, pushing it up to the dam.

Cheapest way is to get a couple thousand slaves with shovels and buckets...

I built a half acre pond once (now consumed by my larger lake) with a tractor with a front end loader... took a couple days of digging and hauling, but it worked and held water.

[Oldcountryboy]

Originally Posted by BarbadosSheep

you need to check the laws in your area regarding digging into a stream to make a pond. In most places, it is highly illegal and the EPA will cause you a lot of trouble. ask me how I know this. Thank God we did not actually dig in the creek, just next to it. They told us the fine for disturbing the creek starts at $100K and goes up from there. So anyway...back to your pond. Instead of digging two smaller ponds, dig one big one. It's easier to manage larger water. Instead of raising the catfish loose in the pond, look into cage culture. you can raise 600 catfish from fingerling size to harvest size in a 4x4x8 floating cage. It's amazing how easy it is.

Barb.Sheep, raising in cages sounds like a good method, but I really want ponds to fish out of. One thing I love to do is take kids to do some perch jerkin and it's getting harder and harder to find a good spot to do that anymore. Had a real good lake that was just plumb full of perches. Then they put a slot limit on the bass and by doing that the bass got bigger and and now they keep the perches thinned out all the time.

Thanks for your replies everyone. I think I'd just like to have one big pond and stock it with both channel cats and hybrid perches. I don't think I've got enough room for two ponds on my little two acre parcel.

[freeholdfarms]

This guy grows tilapia and bass on a half acre in downtown Walterboro, South Carolina
http://www.clemson.edu/sustainableag...permacult.html

About halfway threw the video, he shows how he keeps the bass from eating the tilapia fry.

http://www.youtube.com/user/pillbug123?blend=2&ob=5#p/u/3/4i-bJwUEStM
Hope this will give you some ideas.

[big rockpile]

Our Son has a Small Pond,we stocked it with Hybrid Bluegill and Channel Catfish.He puts the feed to them as with any Farm Stock.They are Very Big and plenty of Fun Catching.









big rockpile