Creating a Lake

[EddieWalker]

I misunderstood. When I've bought fish before, I've le the bags sit in the water for a time and the cut the bags. Then I let the pond water work it's way into the bag and mix with the water already in there. It just takes a few minutes, but the fish will swim out on there own this way.

This time I decided that i would get them in the water right away. There were a couple of floaters in each bag, so I knew I was close to loosing more. After dumping them all in at once, a few fish sort of just floated there, but were not dead. Usually they came to live and swam away in a few seconds. A few stayed there for longer. I taped them with my finger and they took off.

With a few dead in the bags, I decided to do it the fastest way possible. Hopefully they got over the shock of it, but if not, that's not something I can change. hahaha

Thank you,
Eddie

 

[bigdeer2000]

wouldn't put any catfish in a bass lake. those 2-3pound cats grow pretty fast and eat a lot.they will probably enjoy your 2 dollar each bass next year. i did the same thing several years ago. now i have 2 ponds one with cats and brim and one with bass and brim. o yeah both have a few grass carp to keep the ponds clean. those grass carp get big! the kids always enjoyed watching them cruise by the dock.

 

[EddieWalker]

bigdeer,

You're probably right about mixing catfish and bass in the same pond, but because some people like one over the other, I'm hoping that I can do both. It might not be as good a bass pond as I'd hoped, but then again, I might get lucky.


As far as being lucky, there really is no way to describe all the lucky breaks I've had building this pond. And yesterday, it just got better. When I figured out the boundries of the shoreline, I was on my dozer, driving throught the jungle we call East Texas. I pointed the dozer in the direction my topo map said might be a good location to build a lake, and started knocking over trees. After a bit, I found a wet spot and turned to the right. Then I followed the wet areas, trying to stay above them. There is no way I wanted to get the dozer stuck in that mess, so it was kind of interesting.

Those wet areas were what I called natural springs. There was standing water in pockets all along the hillside that I hoped would help keep a lake full. During construction and two years of drought, those wet areas all dried up. This was about the luckiest part of this as I was able to dig out a very deep and large pond in the dry conditions. Any other time and it would have been impossible. I got very lucky.

This year the rains are way above normal and those wet areas have returned. I don't think they will have much impact on my water level, but anything is better then nothing. The biggest thing I didn't fully comprehend is what it takes to mow around the shoreline and avoid those wet areas. I've burried my tractor to the frame at least once, every time I've mowed. Four mowing sessions and stuck seven times. Twice was because I was pushing it too close to the edge, but the other times were suprises from the springs.

Yesterday, Steph and I were walking around the shoreline and I showed her were I got stuck a few days before. It was a nice grassy area that was at least a foot above the water, but close to a really wet area. While looking at it, she noticed that my drainage ditch that will eventually handle the vast majority of my water shed was flowing water.

This ditch runs along my property line and has the potential to pull in dozens of acres of watershed. It's a fairly long and in places, deep ditch. It's also bone dry for it's entire length, except for the last twenty feet. I didn't pay attention and thought it was just wet from the rains and hadn't dried out yet. There is some erosion there and it's deeper then the surrounding land.

After she noticed the water was moving, we took a closer look. It's coming out of the ground and flowing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm going to get a one gallong container and time it to see how much water I'm getting from it. It's nothing huge, but it is steady, cyrstal clear and very cold.

This has become such a fun and interesting project with unforseen suprises that just keep getting better.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

We've noticed an oily film in some of the springs and wet areas. It's fairly clear, but of course, the rainbow color makes it look like an oily film. Is this normal? Does anybody know what it is or why it's caused?

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[pekabu]

We've noticed an oily film in some of the springs and wet areas. It's fairly clear, but of course, the rainbow color makes it look like an oily film. Is this normal? Does anybody know what it is or why it's caused?

Thanks,
Eddie

Your in Texas! Ain't that Bubbling crude? Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[patrick_g]

Eddie, I have seen that "film" lots of times in various places when there is standing water.

The reading I did on ponds says that crappie and bass together in the same pond is a bad idea unless the pond is quite large or you just happen to be lucky. I was just lucky and had a couple ponds like that with good success and you have a BIG pond so you can probably do it too. I know in large lakes there are often bass coexisting with catfish. Where the scale factor starts to destroy the compatibility I don't know.

Regarding your spring... I'd be digging around to find the buried channel carrying the water and driving a pipe with a perforated section on the end into it. Then cover the pipe and pack good clay or cement around it to try to force the water to come out of the pipe. Instant artesian fountain possibilities. How neat does it get??

Pat

 

[Iowachild]

We've noticed an oily film in some of the springs and wet areas. It's fairly clear, but of course, the rainbow color makes it look like an oily film. Is this normal? Does anybody know what it is or why it's caused?

Thanks,
Eddie

Eddie,

Oily sheens can also come from natural sources. Some bacteria (Leptothrix discophora) that live in waterlogged places get their energy from iron and manganese, and as these harmless bacteria grow and decompose, the iron may appear oily or form red or orange films, fluffs, and coatings.

To tell the difference between petroleum spills and natural oil sheens, poke the sheen with a stick. If the sheen swirls back together immediately, it's petroleum. If the sheen breaks apart and does not flow back together, it is from bacteria or other natural source.

 

[patrick_g]

IowaChild, If there were residual soap or detergent on your poking finger from a previous hand washing then that would likely part the film for a while if it were petroleum based and maybe be mistaken for a film of biological source. I've seen this effect with my poorly rinsed finger.

Pat

 

[GaryBDavis]

Eddie,

Have you settled on a date for the fall get-to-gether at your place?

 

[EddieWalker]

Gary,

No date set yet. I was gonnna start asking what might be a good time everyone in August. We're good with any weekend in October or November, so it will really be up to when most of you can make it. The tempatures will be really nice then, but there's no guessing if it will be dry or not. Our last two family get togethers have been canceled because of the rain, and the one before that was Christmas, where it rained all day long. Three for three isn't very encouraging. hahaha

If anybody has some dates that are better or worse then others, please post them at http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/meetings-get-togethers/95116-oktoberfest-east-texas.html

Thanks,
Eddie