Pond Boss
Posted By: TGW1 Quiet Time - 04/19/15 01:36 PM
I wanted to take a moment before I get on the road to go pick up a couple of feeders. I just wanted to tell everyone here about the piece and tranquility I experience in my life when I visit at the pond. No fishing yet because all the fish are to small so I just set there along the bank and watch as the fish feed on the surface. I can set there for hours. I have never been able to set that long. I was walking the pond yesterday when a 12" bull frog jumped in the pond. He was big and looked like superman flying in the air as he jumped into the water. The wood duck boxes I put up, brought in one pair of woodies and they circled the pond as I walked the pond. I had 4 types of fish eating birds around the pond. Not real happy about that till I thought about the Nature of things. There is a lot more to tell here about the pleasures of being a pond owner but I need to get on the road. I am sure others here have seen a lot more than me but I just wanted to pass along how happy I am to have a pond in my life smile

Tracy
Posted By: Mike Otto Re: Quiet Time - 04/19/15 01:44 PM
On trip around your pond is equal to an hour at the counselor. That is a proven fact
Posted By: Sunil Re: Quiet Time - 04/19/15 01:50 PM
Well said, both Tracy and Mike!
Posted By: sprkplug Re: Quiet Time - 04/19/15 03:23 PM
I'm doing something wrong. When I look at our ponds I see grass along the shoreline that needs mowed, bare spots on the drive across the dams that need additional stone, algae and pondweed that require a visit from the pump sprayer, brush growing down to the edge that needs cut back, yoy cattail sprouts that need pulled, a possible fresh muskrat run that warrants a conibear, and minor erosion around one overflow that should have another load of rip-rap placed accordingly. And that was just yesterday. If I'm not mindful of the fact, I will be more stressed after leaving the pond than I was when I arrived. Especially when it rains on Sunday, and I'm unable to accomplish any of that stuff that needs doing.

I love our ponds, and consider myself fortunate to be able to spend a few years as their caretaker. But my idea of what a pond should entail means they will be a constant, time consuming, and expensive endeavor. Not complaining, just contemplating the various ways and viewpoints in which we observe our ponds.
Posted By: JKB Re: Quiet Time - 04/19/15 03:46 PM
Being out in the middle of no where is great! If a pond or wetland, that much better! Escape every day if you can and don't worry about stuff.
Posted By: scatterlandsfarm Re: Quiet Time - 04/19/15 05:28 PM
l live and work in town , then on weekends we visit our farm in the hills and take a lil ride thru the woods and over to the pond sure is nice to have such a place
and like Mike said
On trip around your pond is equal to an hour at the counselor. That is a proven fact
Posted By: snrub Re: Quiet Time - 04/19/15 07:43 PM
Originally Posted By: sprkplug
I'm doing something wrong. When I look at our ponds I see grass along the shoreline that needs mowed, bare spots on the drive across the dams that need additional stone, algae and pondweed that require a visit from the pump sprayer, brush growing down to the edge that needs cut back, yoy cattail sprouts that need pulled, a possible fresh muskrat run that warrants a conibear, and minor erosion around one overflow that should have another load of rip-rap placed accordingly. And that was just yesterday. If I'm not mindful of the fact, I will be more stressed after leaving the pond than I was when I arrived. Especially when it rains on Sunday, and I'm unable to accomplish any of that stuff that needs doing.

I love our ponds, and consider myself fortunate to be able to spend a few years as their caretaker. But my idea of what a pond should entail means they will be a constant, time consuming, and expensive endeavor. Not complaining, just contemplating the various ways and viewpoints in which we observe our ponds.


I remember a conversation sprkplug shortly after I became a member about me commenting that John Monroe had a good attitude about his ponds. Your reply was something along the line of having very specific goals for your ponds and working very hard to achieve those goals. It is interesting to observe how people are wired. In all reality I am probably wired a lot more like you than John or at least that is the way I have been most of my life. I also look at the pond and see work but I also (like you to I'm sure) enjoy it a lot. But I've been trying in retirement to get a little more attitude like John Monroe's. I tell myself in a hundred years no one will remember or care. If the journey is the destination I better make sure and enjoy the journey.

Nothing of real use in this post. Just musings as how I reflect on how my attitude has and is changing as I'm learning to enjoy the latter portion of my life during retirement compared to the hectic days of active farming and meeting deadlines, weather as related to farming and raising a family not to mention how my body no longer works to suit me and if I put in 4 hours of actively doing something now it feels like a 10 hour day. I guess I'm more like you but trying to be more like John Monroe in how I view things.
Posted By: Dave Davidson1 Re: Quiet Time - 04/20/15 10:39 AM
Tony, last year, due to drought, I dang near lost it all and it was a 3 ft deep muddy mess. I didn't even go near it. Most of the fish died and the ones that were left would neither feed nor bite. A little over an acre became less than 1/4 acre. I was depressed and disgusted.

Then we got a big, actually huge, rain that added about 5 ft of water. Still not full but a lot better. However, it started wicking back into the banks and the water level dropped. Then another nice rain last month brought it almost back to where the big rain put it. I'm still about 4.5 ft low and doubt that it will get much better.

When I feed, I find that not a lot of fish survived but am catching and seeing some dang nice BG and GSF when I feed. Also seeing some small bass that I kinda wish had died. I've trapped about 100 2 to 4 inch BG and GSF and added them to feed the bass. I added 5 pounds of FHM, all I could get, a week ago. Will get another 5 pounds next week. I think I will buy some small RES and put them in the forage pond.

In a fit of enthusiasm I put in a dozen 6 to 7 inch HSB. Not real sure why I did this. If I catch them in the summer, they'll probably die.

I have gone from depression to cautiously optimistic. I'm even going to use a weedeater on the dam and toss out more bermuda seed.
Posted By: TGW1 Re: Quiet Time - 04/20/15 10:56 AM
I picked up the two TH feeders and was back @ the pond by 3, got them set up. About a 12 hr day all about the pond smile Like many of you I have things that need to be done in or around the pond but due to all the rain it kanda has me shut down, so I set there again, and the two Wood ducks showed back up. I can tell they are eyeing the WD boxes as they swim around them and near them. The fish became active the last 30 min of daylight as I watched before heading to the house. And snrub, I have never been a farmer, and my respect for you guys has grown a lot over the past 4 yrs because I plant about 15 acres of wildlife food plots in 2 to 4 acre spots and I have a couple of pallets of seeds to get out but it won't stop raining long enough for the ground to handle the tractor. So I set @ the pond in piece and quiet smile

Tracy
Posted By: Zep Re: Quiet Time - 04/20/15 11:01 AM
Originally Posted By: Mike Otto
One trip around your pond is equal to an hour at the counselor.


I like that Mike.
Posted By: Sunil Re: Quiet Time - 04/20/15 12:23 PM
Enjoying most anything is a labor of love.
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