# Howdy fellas and ladies,



## Stessless (Sep 15, 2018)

Been lurking around the forums for awhile and figured I'd get bonafide. Background, in 1993 my dad brother and I went in on 100 acres, in Coshocton County. Since then they've both passed so the land became mine in 2013. I'm now engaged in being the land manager or steward. Started with touching up the land and putting that plan in place, moving on to the ponds now.

Pond prior to heavy work:




  








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Sep 16, 2018




Dam before clearing






Pond fall planting grass and clover:




  








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Dam at planting






Fish Bowl Spring green up...




  








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Dam, first Spring






I spent 30 yrs in the military and looking to semi-retire and get to business on the land and ponds.. oh ya, ponds LoL, the property has 8 ponds, old ones ~70 years, five are hot, nothing grows, but beavers, and 3 are doing well(ish) basically being ignored for 25 years or so. Dad and went to Fenders and stocked channel cats, smallmouth, perch and crappie haphazardly about 20 years ago. There is a nice population of avg hills and LMB. The cats have died out, but did reproduce in one pond: Long Pond, no smallmouth survived that I tell, nor perch. The crappie are in Figure 8 Pond, doing well as it has a nice Ph weeds and healthy ecosystem. The last one, Fishbowl, has a Ph that allows fish to breed, amphibians to live and breed but no aquatic weeds or algae. This Fishbowl is the one I'm concerned about and would like to get a food base in, I stocked a couple 1,000 minnows, going to toss some Game Fish Chow in whenever I'm there, that's mostly for fun and moms smiles. I DO NOT want to increase the Ph as it's the swimming hole and perfection with no natural weeds.





  








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Fishbowl Ph Clarity






Fishbowl is 1.25 acres, 25' at the dam, with old beaver huts and feeding stations plus 50 y/o bald cypress giving plenty of cover. Cattails grow at the stream entry and by the overflow.

How do I get water tested, or should I like a soil test? Why either way?

Is there a natural self recurring biomass that I can start in the pond to produce mid-level fodder for gills and LMB?

Some of the cypress in FishBowl




  








20151104_075517 Fish Bowl




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Fish Bowl Cypress






Anything else? Thanks for any advice.
Is there a way to post pics in this forum?


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

if you have pictures on your computer just hit upload a file in the bottom right corner. there may be other ways to post pictures but thats the only way I know. as for pond management I cant help. but I am sorry you lost your dad and brother. good luck on the ponds. everybody should have these problems, LOL.

WELCOME TO OUR FORUM. somebody will come along and maybe answer your problems. this is a good spot to get fishing and hunting information. also guys posts questions similar to your that gets answered. and questions about anything usually gets answered. if it has happened to you odds are good that its happened to an ogf member.
sherman


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

You can order testing water supplies and/or kits from Amazon or any pond supply catalog. Fathead minnows make good forage. They need some cover or weeds to survive and reproduce. I put 4 pounds in my new pond this spring, and they reproduced very quickly. I have schools of fry all over the place. The bluegill and bass are chowing down. I plan to put more in when it cools down or early next spring.


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## Stessless (Sep 15, 2018)

Muddy said:


> You can order testing water supplies and/or kits from Amazon or any pond supply catalog. Fathead minnows make good forage. They need some cover or weeds to survive and reproduce. I put 4 pounds in my new pond this spring, and they reproduced very quickly. I have schools of fry all over the place. The bluegill and bass are chowing down. I plan to put more in when it cools down or early next spring.


Are fathead a type of catfish or minnow that doesn't get very big?


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

Stessless said:


> Are fathead a type of catfish or minnow that doesn't get very big?


They are a minnow. They get 2-3 inches long. Fatheads are what you typically buy as bass or crappie minnows at a bait store.


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## Stessless (Sep 15, 2018)

Holy smokes.. I think that's the minnows I bought from Fenders Fish Hatchery this summer. Put a couple 1,000 in... even a blind pig... and put tilapia in the one with lots of weeds for forage. Does anyone know what kind of minnow Fenders sells for sure?


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

Per their website they sell fatheads. Fatheads are pretty much the most common, with shiners being second. I just went out to the pond to catch frogs with my son, and there are all sizes of fatheads stacked along the entire shoreline in the dark.


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## Stessless (Sep 15, 2018)

Rgr, I'm flying back to the USA tonight, home is in FL, I'll roll down and check the shoreline when I get to Ohio Wed night. Thx Muddy.


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## Stessless (Sep 15, 2018)

Stessless said:


> Rgr, I'm flying back to the USA tonight, home is in FL, I'll roll down and check the shoreline when I get to Ohio Wed night. Thx Muddy.


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## TDD11 (Aug 5, 2015)

100 acres, and that many ponds, sounds like paradise!


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## Stessless (Sep 15, 2018)

How about golden shiners instead of Fatheads? one better then another?


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

I chose fatheads because they survive and reproduce very well. They are also purely a prey species. Shiners could be good as well, but they can get larger and become a predator. I may try shiners at some point, but for now I’m going to continue stocking fatheads. Fisherman’s Warehouse in SE Columbus has them for $14.99 a pound for bass or crappie minnows(fatheads). I stocked 2 pounds of each in May and they spawned all summer.


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## $diesel$ (Aug 3, 2018)

WOW, am i jealous. lol...welcome aboard.
Can't answer any of your pond rehab questions, but if you ever decide to lease for hunting, please let me know.


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## Stessless (Sep 15, 2018)

Muddy said:


> .... Fisherman’s Warehouse in SE Columbus has them for $14.99 a pound for bass or crappie minnows(fatheads). I stocked 2 pounds of each in May and they spawned all summer.


Thx!
When you say "each" are there different sizes for bass and crappie?


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## $diesel$ (Aug 3, 2018)

Fathead are not a catfish. They are basically a smaller type creek chub, as far as i know. 
They will not get much bigger than 2 1/2 - 3 inches and thats a trophy.


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

Stessless said:


> Thx!
> When you say "each" are there different sizes for bass and crappie?


Smaller fatheads are sold as crappie minnows. Larger fatheads are sold as bass knows.


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