Hunting & Fishing My farm pond dried up.

tickled pink

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Aug 29, 2010
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Just north of Atlanta
I thought I needed to restock my farm pond after it completely dried up last fall then again this spring. Then in late spring we got a lot of rain and it filled up.

Today I went down to check to see if there was any water in it since we haven't gotten any rain this rummer. There was about 3 inches of water left. It was about 10 yds. across and 30 yds. long.

To my amazement there are thousands of 1 inch long bream floating dead in it with a few still alive swimming in the shallow water.

The eggs must have survived in the mud under the dried and cracked mud when the pond completely dried up.

I never new this was possible. Has anyone else heard of this?

40gt
 
Re: My farm pond dried up.

Yes, seen it in younger years.

Also seen new livestock watering ponds dug, lined with clay, never stocked, but fish were doing well. Rain, bird droppings, an other wild life drinking from a pond will bring, eggs,...And yes, I have seen it rain very small fish, more than once, in my years.
 
Re: My farm pond dried up.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BoRepeater</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A lot of fish eating birds fly from pond to pond and carry eggs on their bodies, unknowingly, and restock ponds. Storks are great pond stockers. </div></div>
100% correct. That's the most likely scenario.
 
Re: My farm pond dried up.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BoRepeater</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A lot of fish eating birds fly from pond to pond and carry eggs on their bodies, unknowingly, and restock ponds. Storks are great pond stockers. </div></div>


I suppose it is possible, but I doubt that thousands of eggs would be brought in. I wish I had my camera to show how many fish were floating and they all were the same size. About one inch long and they all looked to be sunfish which were in the pond since it was dug in 1997.

gt40

PS: When pond is full it might be 1+1/5 acres. I also read on the internet that it has been documented with bass, catfish and bream that the eggs will survive in the damp mud under the dry surface mud.
 
Re: My farm pond dried up.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Shaman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Now that it is dry you can start digging again</div></div>

We are trying to lease a excavator to dig them out and maybe even hit a little underground water in the process but it is hard to find one because evidently everybody has the same idea. We were told by the lease company that there wasnt an available excavator in the state of Texas at the moment for lease or sale. (decent one at least)
 
Re: My farm pond dried up.

In East Texas, Angelina and Nacogdoches Co.'s, the rivers are almost dried up. There is almost no flow in them whatsoever.

Sam Rayburn, the biggest lake inside Texas, is right at 10' low now but I have it 14' low many years ago.

We need some rain bad.

BigDozer66
 
Re: My farm pond dried up.

If this is a farm pond(used for agriculture) you may want to seek advice from your local NRCS office. Ask to speak with a district or soil conservationist.