Caring for a pond is very similar to the steps taken for food plots. If you want your plants to thrive, you need to make sure the soil is right. If you want to grow big bass and have healthy fish, you need to lime your pond.

Southeastern Pond Management is liming Howard’s 12 year old lake. While pH is used as the measure of the soil in a food plot, alkalinity is used when dealing with ponds and lakes. Alkalinity is a more stable measure that is not subject to wide swings as pH is in water. With a test of the water, you can find out how much lime is needed to reach an alkalinity of 20 or higher. The higher alkalinity helps stabilize the pH swings which allow your fish to conserve energy. It will also help optimize your fertilizer applications and increase available food which in the long run, will help you grow bigger healthier fish.