New Pond - Need Help!

[CrossThoseEyes]

Hey guys,

I need some of you experienced anglers to send some guidance my way.
My cousin just made a pond roughly an acre round and 10 feet deep in the middle, planning to make it a
bit better. This pond is brand new, no grass or bushes on the edges or anything. Just dirt.
So I need your guidance to tell me what to do. I am going to try to
load it with bluegills mostly with some crappies. As many as I catch.
As far as the pond, what kind of grasses and stuff could I plant around the pond, he does not want the greenery getting very tall and out of hand. He wants it clean, he also doesn't like alot of duck weed floating around either in the heat of the summer. So guys what should I plant, how should I plant it, what kind of fish could I release in it (bass, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch), how can I transport these fish to the pond (not going too far, I have an aerator for minnows) and will they survive? I'm scared because it's a new pond the fish won't survive, but I'm sure a big enough body of water will attract bugs and stuff. I am also going to release alot of minnows in aswell.

Thanks guys,
sorry for the read.

Tyler

[Eager Beaver]

It depends on your location to start with. Check with your county extension office. They should be able to tell you what you need to do and what fish to stock and how many. Too many fish will stunt them and will ruin a small pond. Crappie aren't usually recommended for small ponds. EB

[CrossThoseEyes]

Will do thanks. I am located in Ontario, Canada

[minnowsoaker]

I'm not an expert but from everything I've read and heard about and witnessed, I would not stock any crappie in a 1 acre pond unless you want a bunch of very small crappie and not much else. They will take over and their growth will be very limited.

[CrossThoseEyes]

Alright, I will make sure of this.
Also this may be illegal in certain areas, so I will check before I start
anything.

Keep em coming guys, thanks.

[kycreek]

I'd agree with the post above about your extension agency being of help. You have to be very careful stocking a pond. It can get out of balance if you don't know what you are doing.

[JIG Gene-e]

Also you can check online for independent fish hatcherys in your area. They can have a lot of good info on their websites. Most all of them will have stocking ratios, weed control, pond management products ect.

[feelay]

Definitely get extension office help.... And no crappie!