1/4 Acre Pond/Fish

[504RP]

I had a 1/4 acre stock pond built to water cows. Thought about putting a few perch or blue gills in it to teach my 3 year old grand daughter how to Fish.

I know it is too small to establish any kind of long term fish population in. But thought I could buy 20 or 30 blue gills around this time of the year and throw a little pellet feed to them ever now and then. Then take her fishing around April or so.

Anyone had any experience putting fish in a small pond like that ? The pond is a little over 100 x 100 X 10feet deep.

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

I had ponds 50x50x14 with serious springs in the bottom, it was fine for New Zealand rainbow. They got up to 7#.

 

[sstterry]

I have one pond that is about that size and it supports a decent fish population.

 

[bird dog]

It would help if you put some bait like small minnows in there first. Most around here stock fathead minnows a few months before adding fish. If you do that though, you will need some kind of cover to allow them some escape from the fish. The pond is plenty big enough for what you are wanting.

Throw a large cardboard (like a refrigerator comes in) box kind of folded over and partially collasped in about 3' of water. The minnows will use for cover as well as to spawn. Algae will grow on it to feed them. It will disolve with time.

 

[504RP]

I had ponds 50x50x14 with serious springs in the bottom, it was fine for New Zealand rainbow. They got up to 7#.

 

[herofan]

I had a 1/4 acre stock pond built to water cows. Thought about putting a few perch or blue gills in it to teach my 3 year old grand daughter how to Fish.

I know it is too small to establish any kind of long term fish population in. But thought I could buy 20 or 30 blue gills around this time of the year and throw a little pellet feed to them ever now and then. Then take her fishing around April or so.

Anyone had any experience putting fish in a small pond like that ? The pond is a little over 100 x 100 X 10feet deep.

I have a pond smaller than that with Bass and Bluegill in it all my life. I'd say you can have success.

 

[sstterry]

Let me add, keep the Turtles and the Otters out of it. They can destroy a fish pond, especially the Otters.

 

[504RP]

What did you feed them and how offten ? This pond has a heck of a Spring that feeds it.

When my neighbors grand dad owned it. He drove a pipe in the ground and plumbed it into a water tank. Said it over flowed the tank year round all the years he owned the property.

I drug three test holes before we built it. Had to wait until driest part of the summer before we could build it. Even then i built a drainage ditch for the water to drain off of the location I built the pond on. Even drug the test holes bigger and pumped out 6 to 700 gals of water over into the drainage ditch everyday for about 3 months in order to get the pond location dry enough to dig the pond.

Had to use a track hoe and dozer to dig it. They got most of it dug by dark the first day. Water was seeping in pretty then. Told the operator's if they needed me to come pump it out so they could start work the next morning to call me.

They said they didn't think it was seeping that much water and wouldn't need me to pump it out the next morning. Ended up calling me 7 a.m the next morning to come pump it out. Had a good 3 foot plus off water in it from over night. Took me about 45 minutes pumping it out with a 4 inch Honda trash pump.

The pond was full running over its spill way 3 day's later. And has been running over it's spill way every since. Even during last summer's drought.

 

[sstterry]

They sell fish food, but cheap dog food works too. I don't feed anything now unless I am just trying to see what the population is like.
We used to have a pond that was stocked only with catfish (watermeal overtook the pond and we lost the fish). We fed them cheap dog food and they did well.

 

[504RP]

I have a pond smaller than that with Bass and Bluegill in it all my life. I'd say you can have success.

Do you have to do anything or manage it someway ? I was told my pond was too small to establish a ecosystem or food chain.

 

[sstterry]

Throw a large cardboard (like a refrigerator comes in) box kind of folded over and partially collasped in about 3' of water. The minnows will use for cover as well as to spawn. Algae will grow on it to feed them. It will disolve with time.

They also make artificial habitats for minnow protection.
https://www.thepondguy.com/category/pond-and-lake-fish-care-fish-habitat

 

[Mrcopier]

Do you have to do anything or manage it someway ? I was told my pond was too small to establish a ecosystem or food chain.

every piece of water can form a ecosystem, you'll do just fine. I have built several of different sizes. I've done well with them all, fixing to do a 5 acre one next. If your pond has been there that long it probably has the micro organisms needs just add fish and have fun. Do add a few minnows as advised above and for cover I use some branch I trimmed off of trees.

 

[herofan]

Do you have to do anything or manage it someway ? I was told my pond was too small to establish a ecosystem or food chain.

I don't do anything special. It takes care of itself.

 

[ccr]

We have about a 1/2 acre pond that we stocked with minnows, perch, and black bass. Threw them all in at the same time several years ago. Never have fed them and we catch 2-3 pound bass every time we throw a hook in there. There's a big bass that a couple of us have let get away (the big one always gets away.) Friends have came over and caught perch using worms.

Like others have said the pond's eco system should take care of itself. Go get some fish and throw in there. And you and your grand daughter can have some fun.

 

[kenny thomas]

I'm no genius but I have seen studies that say it takes 6 weeks from the time a pond is new for the biology to get right for the fish. Not saying it won't support fish before that with help.

 

[sstterry]

There's a big bass that a couple of us have let get away (the big one always gets away.)

A cousin and I fished constantly during our younger years. We have a two-acre pond that was very well stocked. We had a big bass like that that a friend of my Dad named "Old Jingles". It was because of all the lures he had broken away from and that were probably hanging in his mouth.

My dad finally caught him years later. Dad froze him whole so that he could show all of his friends.

 

[Ky cowboy]

What did you feed them and how offten ? This pond has a heck of a Spring that feeds it.

When my neighbors grand dad owned it. He drove a pipe in the ground and plumbed it into a water tank. Said it over flowed the tank year round all the years he owned the property.

I drug three test holes before we built it. Had to wait until driest part of the summer before we could build it. Even then i built a drainage ditch for the water to drain off of the location I built the pond on. Even drug the test holes bigger and pumped out 6 to 700 gals of water over into the drainage ditch everyday for about 3 months in order to get the pond location dry enough to dig the pond.

Had to use a track hoe and dozer to dig it. They got most of it dug by dark the first day. Water was seeping in pretty then. Told the operator's if they needed me to come pump it out so they could start work the next morning to call me.

They said they didn't think it was seeping that much water and wouldn't need me to pump it out the next morning. Ended up calling me 7 a.m the next morning to come pump it out. Had a good 3 foot plus off water in it from over night. Took me about 45 minutes pumping it out with a 4 inch Honda trash pump.

The pond was full running over its spill way 3 day's later. And has been running over it's spill way every since. Even during last summer's drought.

If it has a spring in it channel cats will spawn in it. I would stay away from crappie they will over run a small pond fast. I've always caught some of my best fish out of small old cow ponds.

 

[504RP]

We have about a 1/2 acre pond that we stocked with minnows, perch, and black bass. Threw them all in at the same time several years ago. Never have fed them and we catch 2-3 pound bass every time we throw a hook in there. There's a big bass that a couple of us have let get away (the big one always gets away.) Friends have came over and caught perch using worms.

Like others have said the pond's eco system should take care of itself. Go get some fish and throw in there. And you and your grand daughter can have some fun.

View attachment 1974View attachment 1975

Thats a good looking pond and bass too !!!

We have about a 1/2 acre pond that we stocked with minnows, perch, and black bass. Threw them all in at the same time several years ago. Never have fed them and we catch 2-3 pound bass every time we throw a hook in there. There's a big bass that a couple of us have let get away (the big one always gets away.) Friends have came over and caught perch using worms.

Like others have said the pond's eco system should take care of itself. Go get some fish and throw in there. And you and your grand daughter can have some fun.

View attachment 1974View attachment 1975

That's a good looking pond and bass too !

 

[504RP]

I just remembered a friend of mine who had a pond about the size of mine.

When we were about 12 years old. That friend of mine fished alot in his pond sometimes before he would catch the school bus to go to school.

So sometimes he would use a cane pole and cork. He would leave it out baited before leaving for school. When he got home from school one evening. He went down to the pond and the cork was pulled under. When he pulled it up there was a 8 lb large mouth bass on his line.

When he got it on the bank he noticed the bass had a small croppie in its mouth.

Apparently the crappie had gotten hooked and the bass came along latter and swallowed the croppie head first.

This is a true story. He had the bass mounted with the croppie's tail hanging out of its mouth just like it was when he caught it !

That was over 45 years ago !!! Lol !

 

[ccr]

This pic is after the bass were cleaned and these little fish were inside the bigger fish (2017).



This pic is during rebuild of pond in 2011.