So they are starting a new small pond, should be around 1/2-3/4 acres, tomorrow.
Should I let it “cycle” before stocking it?
This is just for me and the grandkids to fish out of, I don’t intend on making a bass utopia.
I plan on putting in structure for the fish, just not sure of the proper timing to add various fish, if the even is a “proper timing.

I would appreciate any advise.

Thanks

wouldn't normal rain & the run off already be cycled?
IMHO
that will be fun

we fed our fish in our tank
the bluegill got huge

It may be Butch but I don’t what I don’t know-
I’d hate to buy fish from a fish farm and it not be ready with necessary nutrients and such.
I know when I was doing aquariums you shouldn’t just immediately put fish in for a short while.
This is gonna be fun though, they dropped off the equipment last week but have been waiting for a few dry days before they started because they didn’t want it to try to fill up before they were through.
I plan on stocking it with things I catch myself and with a cast net to supplement also, I just don’t want put in the fish farm fish till I’m sure-

If it were mine, I'd go ahead and stock fathead minnows as soon as the pond has plenty of water in it. It will take several weeks(even months) for the water to clear but minnows can survive and thrive just fine right away. I'd also be very careful about "cast net" stocking....very easy to get undesirable species of fish not to mention plants that way. Bring in your bluegills in early spring and bass to control the population in the fall. That should get things off to a good start.

This is the kind of good advice I was looking for, thank you very much.

I agree with Meadowlark. Stock your fatheads now. Depending on how deep your pond is in the fall I would look at adding bluegills. Next spring I would add my bass.

Thanks Brando, last night I looked at about the last three years of meadowlarks post where the title referred to something similar and I saw you in many of those threads also, you both gave out great advise and I feel like I learned quite a lot of things that I didn’t know before.
I think this a great way to learn more about this new adventure.
I really appreciate that you guys take the time to explain things that y’all have experienced and I know that it will help me with this-
As I have time I will search farther as it looks like whatever I may run into has been addressed before, but if I need to I’ll be sure and ask again because someone else may look back later and need what I asked already answered.

How deep is the pond going to be Steve? What types of structure are they building? Like some spawning flats close to deep water, maybe some little humps or ridges?

Nice rock pile going from deep to shallow never hurt anything!

What a fun project. That will be so much fun for years to come

They were supposed to start today but it was still too muddy-
So hopefully tomorrow-

Dan the plan we talked about it will have some different elevations with a couple of humps along with some “rock type” structure I’m planning to build with heydock blocks, also plan to use some small trees with the root balls still on them.
One area I will keep smooth and clear of these things up to one side of a planned dock for the grandkids to use as a swimming hole-
Yes it is pretty exciting-
I’m building in a creek bed that already has a pretty good elevation change, what nature has already done makes it a very good spot I think.
Think of an elongated figure 8, turned on its side, is what I’m starting with.
We will build the dam on the side looking to the right, with that being the deep side15-18 feet.
The left side circle of the figure 8 is where the watershed will come in, and will be the shallower side.
Between where the 2 “0’s are, is a natural hump and will sort of divide the deep from the shallow end.
That’s the plan anyway, if we get close to that I will be happy.

Steve one thing I did this winter was put out some spawning beds. I got some of those plastic water heater drain pans and filled them with large pea gravel. Not sure if they are gonna work but in theory they should.

That sounds like something that should work sir!
Please let us know if it works-

Mississippi State Ag Extension Service is known for having an excellent farm pond management program. Texas weather patterns are really no different than in MS, so the info at this website will apply to your case. There are quite a few publications on both management and stocking guidelines.

Start here: Mississippi State Farm Pond Management

Steve if you have the means and ability I would strongly consider putting some riff raff along the dam as well

I’m not sure what that may cost Brandon but I’m betting it would put me way over budget for what I am using this for-
But thanks for the suggestion though, I’m sure it would help with the fish, and I did ask for advice.

And so it begins-