Sounds like you're doing it right. I have a friend who bulldozed a huge hole in the ground out near Jacksboro. Clear cut the hole (nothing in it), then let it fill up with rain water over the course of a year. Now he's talking about stocking it soon. I keep telling him that if he takes his time, and plans/prepares the pond the right way, it'll come out better. But he just says "add the fish, and the rest will work itself out". No baitfish stocking the year or two before...nothing.