Tips for Winter Pond Management

Written by Scott Anderson – As temperatures drop across Texas, winter pond management can help improve fish production in the spring, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wildlife and fisheries specialists.

Increased precipitation rates in the winter can lead to many stock ponds catching new water from their watersheds.

This can change the pond’s water chemistry.

Fish production is best with a pH level of 6.5-8.5. Lime needs to be added when the pH is below 6, and they have a total alkalinity reading of less than 20 parts per million.

When water temperatures decline, supplemental feeding also slows greatly. Automatic feeders should be turned off or feed measurements reduced to help prevent waste.

The rule of thumb is to not feed if the fish are not eating. Switch to offering a little feed in late afternoons after several warm sunny days in a row. The fish will not feed as vigorously as they did back in September, but a little supplemental feed throughout the winter will keep the fish in good condition going into the spring growing season.

Overfeeding leads to wasted money and possibly a change in water chemistry as feed decomposes.

To help control aquatic weeds he said to pull samples of weed growth and have it identified.

Depending on the plant species, weed control efforts generally can be initiated in April.

The colder season is also the best time to review catch records from 2016 to determine if the pond is moving in the right direction to achieve production goals for fishing.

If you were unhappy with what you were catching in 2016, nothing will change in the new year unless you take the appropriate management steps to correct problems. Catch records cost nothing and data such as length and weight of all largemouth bass caught, as well as information on other key species such as catfish, bluegill and crappie, help chart the course for future recommendations.

Texas farmers and ranchers have long known about opportunities to lease their property for hunting.

Many may not realize they can also lease their lake or pond for fishing.

According to Texas Farm Bureau, Private Water Fishing based in Richardson, Texas partners with Texas private lake owners and with fishermen who enjoy fishing on private, uncrowded waters.

Water is one of the most valuable assets on private property, but it’s often underutilized in many cases.

Often that water is an idle resource and certainly not generating any income, Private Water Fishing, is a member-based fishing club. And on lakes 10 acres or larger, they generally have fish in them already. This could be an opportunity for landowners to generate some income on larger bodies of water on their ranch.

Leased water can range from a simple 10-acre farm pond to a trophy bass lake. Alexander said there is demand for these types of recreational opportunities. Private Water Fishing currently has 70 leased lakes available for its members.

They are supposedly limited only by the number of properties they can find. They are lacking properties is in the Central Texas area and in the Houston area.

They are a membership-based club. And as a member, you can fish on any of the 70 lakes that we lease. The members pay on a two-tier system. They pay to be a member. That goes to Private Water Fishing, and that’s how we pay the bills and pay our employees. And then you pay a separate day fee or rod fee to go to each one of the properties. The majority of that rod fee is how the landowner is compensated.