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If your goal is to grow fish, then the clarity that you are at now is perfect - you don't need more clarity.

The bacteria IF ENOUGH O2 IS PRESENT WHERE THE LEAVES ARE AT will work on those leaves.

Foozie, I'd remove enough bass to reach between 100# and 120# of bass removed this year. I would not add any forage to the pond until you have reached that goal.

To grow bigger bass, you want the bass to Bluegill ratio to be 1:25 to 1:30. That is with the bluegill of all different sizes.

Welcome to the forum. Ideals are great to have. Unfortunately, in this day and age, being able to afford what it takes to get a person's ideals to fruitation can be a big hit to the pocket book.

Case in point:

Fathead minnows for feed. If you can't raise your own in large quantities, look at the cost ratio vs. a good commercial feed. Figure 2# of commercial fish food to grow one pound of fish flesh. Compare that to 10# of Fatheads. (providing the fish are 10" or less). If the fish are bigger than say 10" Fatheads won't cut it, you will need a bigger forage fish. Don't even think about Gizzard Shad, YOY will outgrow what a HSB can eat in less than a year.

You have a background in ecology. I have to ask, what conversion rate do fish have when eating crayfish, or grass shrimp? How much do they cost per pound? Delivered, not prior to shipping.

I seriously doubt that you will be able to raise enough in the pond to satisfy the food requirements of your predator fish.

I've had several days of not finding any floaters, and last night they finally surface ate (with the SBS) with a fury. Before "death week," they were surface eating very well, then it slowed waaayyy down to the point I was concerned about how many nonfloaters there might be. Last night eased my mind. I didn't had a problem last year, but they were mainly 6-8ers" and all females. I was accidently given 9 males this year due to time constraints at pick up and I couldn't go through them until I got home, but ultimately decided I was already going to switch to a reproducing pond down the road, might as well now so I I can fish it more, and eat more out of it. All the females have been spawned out, and the males were producing milt when I put them in, so hopefully I got some fertilization. Lesson learned, avoiding transferring large fish during spawn time in the future!

I read that to OP wanting something other than pellet sized bait/lures. SS do work well though.

Aluminum window screen.

Wrap it around the trunk, use scissors to cut it long, staple it to itself. Very easy/cheap and protects against mice and rabbits.

Since esshup let me know that shiners don't spawn on brush, I ordered some spawning mats to put out. I actually had shiners nipping at a Rooster Tail yesterday so there are shiners surviving in the pond. I took the net down to chase any bass out and put it back up. Hopefully that takes care of the problem with the enclosure. Now I need to get some more shiners to put in the enclosure since the shiners probably left for the main pond too.

Here's the pond:
[img]https://i.postimg.cc/vx6XVgcg/013.avif[/img]

Some grass (Japanese Stiltgrass) hanging into the water (possible spawning cover in addition to the mats I ordered):

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/p5DzvDmZ/015.avif[/img]


The enclosure:

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/RqjgzRDc/016.avif[/img]

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/R3gNcgHy/018.avif[/img]

I dont have a big fish to brag about, but will brag about all of the nuggets I've learned from Pond Boss; both Bob himself and the forum community. We build an 8 acre pond in 2020....last night I was throwing feed off the dock, the water was busting with bluegills, HSB and largemouth and I was reflecting on some success to get this far along. I think I'm still on the upward climb to the "new pond bell curve" but man it's a beautiful sight to see these fish feed. Combine last night with having some kids catching fish a few nights ago and it's wonderful to see a plan come together!

Does PLM have a new website? I was on there this spring and it didn't seem like they had anything in stock.

Listen to Bill. Rotary vanes are a whole LOT easier to rebuild too.

Depending on how much ice/snow you get you might want one in 4-5 foot of water for winter aeration. You shouldn't run the in the deepest part of the pond during the winter.

I'm with you FR , Grand Children and Great Grandchildren are the answer . 14 plain Grands , 2 Great Grands , take all I can have. I give thanks for every one . Couldn't have stocked Saugeye last week without the help of a older one.