Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Quite a trip today!

Cecil and I drove to Mi. to pick up some fish today, towing Cecil's trailer with fish hauling tank aboard. I borrowed my Dad's diesel Suburban (1997 6.5 TD) and while the trip turned out fine, we ended up switching vehicles to my 2003 VW Jetta Wagon about 2 miles from the house. Dad's truck "missed" twice on the way to Cecil's house, and after talking to Dad on the phone, his reply was "It's never done that on me. If it breaks, it breaks!" So, after picking Cecil up and the trailer, onward we drove. It kept missing more and more, with the timing advance kicking in intermittently as well. I shut the truck off at the hatchery, and it needed to crank for a while to get it fired up again.... So, after loading the tank, off we went. Everything seemed fine until we were stopped by a train and it died. I finally got it running again, only to have the truck go into limp mode about 15 miles from the house. We limped it to my parents house, swapped the trailer to the Jetta and completed the trip. In the rush to swap vehicles, I left my camera in Dad's truck, but Cecil took pics. I have my fingers crossed he'll see this and be able to post them.

Thanks Cecil for an enjoyable and entertaining trip. Hopefully, the trip wasn't too stressful for ya!

Initial thoughts was the injection pump is starting to fail, further diagnosis is leaning to either the IP or a FSD failure. I'll try and scan the codes tomorrow. At any rate, Dad wants to take the truck in, but I know that I can do the work once it's diagnosed. If it is the IP, here's the plan of attack:

Change IP, injectors (roughly 125K on them, 227K on the truck), timing chain and gear (if the top gear is a plastic cogged one), water pump and harmonic balancer (they have a history of the rubber isolator going bad). There is a new IP sitting at the house now, just have to diagnose the problem and accumulate the necessary parts.

Even with getting sloshed around pretty good in the tank, the fish were in fine shape. I left the house late @ 6:15 a.m., the fish were released around 3: 30 p.m. and I finally pulled back in the drive @ 7:30 p.m. That's without taking my Dad to their other house to get their other vehicle. That may be on the docket for tomorrow.

Glad you guys made it ok. What about details other than the truck ?

Am I reading this correctly, you started with a 6.5L Surburban and ended up switching the loaded trailer to a VW Jetta Wagon? How much does the loaded trailer weigh? Dang did you get photos of THAT?

Sorry Jeff didn't get a photo of that.

And I goofed but it may have turned out better in a way. I had the pond pics in video mode and didn't know it. Must have bumped the switch. (My dog chewed up my case) So I'm walking around with it on and thinking I'm ocasionally snapping pictures! The first one of these is funny as Esshup keeps dropping a golden over and over again as we try to get a picture of it. The dog is a cutie too.





Up to 12 pound Golden/Palimino broodstock in the Crystal Springs Ponds in North Muskegon, Michigan. The owner John Nelski says they are getting old and will be sold. So if any of you have ponds in Michigan... Many of these fish are close to 30 inches or so. The picture does not do them justice.

I threw a 2 1/2" Pins Minnow today right before dusk and 3 golden/palimino trout took it, 0 raimbows. I was able to release them without even touching them. The trout are hitting the AquaMax 600 and the fatheads. Pics of the trailer/Jetta? O.K. I'll get them on here tomorrow.

The golden/palimino trout seem more aggressive than the 'bows. I stocked 75 'bows and 25 goldies.

Good to hear the trout are already feeding. Sounds like our eventful hauling trip was a success.

Did you take your dad to Chicago yet?

My dad and I have 4 muskrat traps set tonight. My guess is we are dealing with two muskrats. Thanks for loaning the traps! Playing musical chairs with one trap wasn't working!

It'll be interesting to see if any are moving with the lower water levels, or are they in the other 2 ponds?

Yep, both Mom & Dad are back in the city.

Welcome to my world Scott! You're already a better trout hauler than me!

So you haven't hauled any trout yet?

Don't think there were any in the 2 back ponds that I am draining. Typically I get immigrants from the highway ditch where my trout overflow drains. Everything from crayfish to beavers, to mink, and of course muskrats. What isn't good is the last time the highway department scooped out the ditch they dug it deeper on the upslope so now water backs up there. I'm sure it's a great mosquito hatchery too. Next year I think I'll dump some fatheads in the stagnant water to eat the larvae.

I owe it all to Cecil. I was just the driver!! Cecil, is the dog showing any ill effects of the 110?

Yeah but I regret you paid for that oxygen tank and didn't need it. It was a backup though in case the aerator went out. Anything can happen. Ask Rex.

As far as the dog she seems fine Scot. Thank you for asking.

Today the stinkerpot tried to walk down the sides of one of the ponds I am draining and ended up with some seriously mucky paws. I had to wash off each one in warm soapy water in a five gallon bucket and then rinse and dry and she wasn't a happy camper about that.

The O2 tank isn't a big deal. They said they'd buy it back for the same $ that I gave them.

Now you know why I put Cal in the laundry room to dry off!!