Well...she ain't full yet, but the original pond is rising quite nicely. We've had about 5 inches of rain over the past 3 weeks, and it's come in about 1" increments. That's enough to both soak the ground and provide some decent runoff...in other words, a "normal" springtime. Tiles run between rains.

East pond's about 16 inches below full pool. The other needs maybe 4 feet, but even it's up over 2 feet since ice-off in March.

I'm just about as happy as I can be. Water temps are maybe low 50's, the gills are feeding (at least some, and only on evenings when the wind's not blowing) and my pal Brown Eye was even able to hook into a nice HBG the other evening.

I ain't bragging, just REALLY encouraged. The bridge will be just about where I thought...maybe 6 inches above water, at full pool...the dock might even have to be moved UP the bank a bit so that you don't have to walk UP the gangplank to the dock.

I'll try to get some pic's tonight, if it's not galeforce winds when I get home. It's RAINING right now, heavy enough to run off, but no gully washer. Me 'n wifey are heading to Bull Shoals tomorrow to visit uncle & aunt-in-law at their new resort. Weather won't be fantastic, but the crappies 'r bitin'.

This ain't me (uncle Roger) but those're the goal...

[img]http://render2.snapfish.com/render2/is=Yup6aQQ%7C%3Dup6RKKt%3AxxrKUp7BHD7Kofrj%3DQofrj7t%3DzrRfDUX%3AeQaQxg%3Dr%3F87KR6xqpxQQQnxGoJxo00xv8uOc5xQQQ0GQl0lJJeQqpfVtB%3F*KUp7BHSHqqy7XH6gXPGa%7CRup6lQQ%7C/of=50,590,442[/img]

Life is good...

That's a nice crappie! What are the different species you have in your two ponds?

In the first, I've got BG, HBG, CC (and a few flatheads) along with LMB a few walleye and saugers.

In the second, which we just began stocking last fall, we'll go with just the IDNR recommendations of LMB, BG and CC. I'm kind of anxious to see if there are any differences in how the food chain balances out.

That sure is an interesting combination of fish you have in the first one. How big is that pond? How do your predator populations fluctuate with one another?

davatsa:

I don't know how they'll interact in the long run, but it's basically the same combination we put in my brother's BIL's pond....so far it works there, at least.

It'll be 1.75 acres, when full, minus the island. It's about 1.5 acres, right now, but needs about 18 inches more water to be full.

Time will tell, I guess. :p

BTW...fished a total of about 15 minutes on Bull Shoals.

We go there just in time for the next ice age to begin. 82F the day before we left...60F the day we got there, and then...53F, 46F and woke up to this on Saturday morning...at 23F. Winter's back...

[img]http://render2.snapfish.com/render2/is=Yup6lQQ%7C%3Dup6RKKt%3AxxrKUp7BHD7Kofrj%3DQofrj7t%3DzrRfDUX%3AeQaQxg%3Dr%3F87KR6xqpxQQQnxGoJxo00xv8uOc5xQQQ0GPP0n0e0nqpfVtB%3F*KUp7BHSHqqy7XH6gXPll%7CRup6aQQ%7C/of=50,332,442[/img]

We drove home Saturday in the cold and wind...may head back in June when they come back for their daughter's wedding... :rolleyes:

I guess that's why they call it fishin and not catchin. It makes us all appreciate the good days. Good luck next time out...catch a big'un for us!

Well, it's not any better here at home...predicting up to 8 inches of SNOW, but that's probably a bit north of home. On a brighter note, we did manage .75 inches of rain last night, with lots more today...perhaps 1-2 inches. Ponds're onna rise! Water temps are onna way down, though. My 5 gallon bucket of night crawlers has just about frozen solid in the past week.

Oh well...

My water temps dropped from 63 to 44 in 7 days. I think maybe the rest of Spring they should be less volatile, at least I hope they will.