Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations overcrowding verdict?

this is where we need back issues of the magazine catagorized. Dave Willis had pretty all the info you need with ur questiosn in past article. skinny you need that issue.

Spawn order from coolest to warmer is NP, LMB, BCR-BG. As Greg says Dr. Dave reviewed all this info in May-Jun 2009. The index and Table of Contents for all the magazines are available in Common Q&A Archives:
http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=196790#Post196790
Hopefuly the Indexes and Contents information will be more visible & better organized in the up coming new Forum format.

so i had it completely backwards? Awesome!

Yeah, new subscriber, i don't have the may-jun from '09.

Thanks for the heads up, guys....

wow.......that issue has an article on mapping too.....judging by my ramshackle map on the previous page....i need this issue!

So how do i order a backissue, i'm guessing right on the subscribe page.....

man, i just looked back at my series of questions....i really hit every category with this one...what plants to choose, selective harvest, what happens with the pike, what do i use to make structure, where can i place plants and structure, when do the fish spawn and what do i stock for forage.....
lol....buckshot approach. Already turned up one good hit, thanks greg & bill.

Greg: BTW..the wife loved the loon piece in last month's issue. She's studying biogeography, and she appreciated your want to help the bird in a pond too small for itself. although she did cringe at netting it....i dunno, something about bone density in the wings at risk...crazy scientists, who can understand 'em?
that was you, right?
man....it's been a long month.
wait... week.

dang.

Back issues of PBoss Magazine can be ordered using the form in back of the magazine or by calling the PBoss office 1-800-687-6075. Hopefully fairly soon all back issues and individual articles will be available for purchase and electronic down-load from a location on this Forum. Stay tuned and watchful.

no idea that was evenin there, figures my mag is late this month or mia? I was careful with it let her know. I had to handle plenty of geese in wildlife class so it was not harmed I can assure you. Pretty cool experience. thanks

If you have trouble ordering I think there is a place to order back issues in the magazine as well.

she knows it all turned out well, it wasn't a doubt in your ability, just a cringe at the possible things that could have gone wrong. When i showed her this post she even said, if anyone was going to do it, she's glad it was someone with enough care and want to learn about the animal and think it though beforehand. No doubt that you did it well.....just fear at the possibility of injury.

In any case, we both really enjoyed reading it. Nicely done, Mr Grimes, nicely done.

She also just read the piece about restoring rangelands...lol....she is currently reading a text with a lot of the same information. Good stuff there too. The PB magazine is just plain awesome.

Anyone know the type of poly tubing to buy for one of those "soft" forage covers?

Thanks, and keep up the good work
-skinny

skinny:

Look into the 1/4" and 1/2" poly tubing that's used for drip irrigation.

Ok, sweet. What about a good emergent grass to plant? in shallow water, from 6" to 3 feet, that will a) survive chicago winters b) be easy to manage and not take over a shoreline c) survive the annual herbicide (Dad says it's called sonar) and d) help to hide a big ugly concrete culvert, and maybe, just maybe, filter out some of the road grime and other nastiness that comes through it.

Another friendly PB'er PMed me the name "horsetail rush"....from the looks of it that would be a good choice. Any thoughts? lol...he also taught me what ag zone i am working in, 5a&b (thanks, dude...you rock).

-skinny

I thought horsetail rush can become rather invasive? If not, great, I got a ton of it on this one section of the creek on our property I could just subplant.

yeah, i've seen that too...but a little manual control for whatever plant we choose is ok, just so long as it isn't weeks of control just to keep it from taking over the shore or other parts of the pond.

However, on another site, i just read that attempting to pull unwanted stalks out breaks the tuber, which causes it to spread....

Of course this is coming from a poster who said that calling it invasive was an "inderstatement." source reliability = FAIL.

Dad's initial response was to head across his yard into the wetlands conservation land and just pull a handful of something that is spreading beyond the state/county land and plant it there. lol.....Now i know that the wetlands conservation area and this pond are connected, so they share water, algae, frogs, birds, mice and more...but if the plant is spreading out of the wetland...do you really want to give it a jump start into your pond? I know, i don't even know what he was looking at. Maybe that is a good idea, just gave me a chuckle.

Alright....question for the day....
where do i get a good seine for relatively cheap? Googling it got me some pretty shaky results.

Anything i should look for in style or quality?


Thanks
skinny

this place has been recommended frequently. They sure have the styles to choose from. http://www.memphisnet.net/category/nets

ok, great. Thanks....now....i see it is order by the foot. To get a good, accurate sample, how big of a seine would you all suggest? Just 2 people to operate would be best (me & pops...)

I'd go with at least 30'x4' but 50'x4' would work better and can still be run by two people. It takes a little practice to get the pace and method down, but once you do, you can sure catch a pile of fish with a net that size!

Bass Pro Shops also sells seines in that size range and if I recall correctly, they are a PB supporter.

CJ I recommend a 6 foot model, a 4 foot will not work well in water over 3 feet. Remember the "bag" pulls down the height of the net. Also, I know it gets pricey, a mudline is good investment so the net does not roll as bad and keep fish from going under it. A good net is not cheap, it is a longterm investment.

skinny a 50' model would be my choice for you.

I agree with you Greg. Nothing like watching your floats go under and all the fish go over your net... However, it's a lot harder to find a 6' net as compared to a 4'. 4' nets substantially cheaper because I think they are more mass produced. I do agree that a 6' net works much better though.

Yep CJ with you. If you plant to use a couple fo times the n BPS net might work. If you plan to use on routine basis for next several years my advice is save up for a good one from memphis net and twine or delta net or others in the business.

Lusk once said that it is not unusual for bass to lay flat and let the seine pass over them. Doesn't seem fair.

They also refused to hit my spinner yesterday evening, first 60+ day here in stl, got all the way up to 72, but the dang bass wouldn't bite. Also not fair.

update - dad just sent me an email, ice 3/4 off, someone put a roach on a line from their pier and pulled in another 30+" pike....2 eyes....not onezey the mythical lake beast.

So we have a small population of big pike and a growing population of lil toothy buggers, 15-20".

The HOA and the homeowners in general are getting nervous...all of this showing up in one year? The general fear is that the bass are a losing arrangement, and won't be around too much longer, they also are afraid for the kids swimming (a main focus of this lake).

What should I tell them? what should be done? I can handle the fear of danger to swimmers myself...obviously it takes a Carcharodon carcharias sized pike to be interested in people....but what about the danger to the fishery? I personally am not afraid, i think it is likely a good thing, more competition for the forage and a predator that can handle a 12" bass will start weeding out the skinny bass, right?

Skinnybass: I think your biggest problems can be solved with good food. Fear of the unknown will get you every time and knowledge is the answer. Put out a notice that you will be holding a fishing contest for the local kids, winners and winners get free hotdogs and a cold drink. Cost is minimal and those fradycats at the home owners association can see first hand that baby lock ness does not in fact eat small children. While the kids are putting hook to worm you can address the parents with a general discussion forum. I'd recommend you ask one of you local wildlife officers/biologist to show up to help you get the facts straight with the "thicker headed types". If this contest is a hit you should be the driving force behind making it an annual occurance. Just my 2 cents, hope it helps...

Yeah, there is a 3rd of july fishing derby in the works. I think, at least i hope that this part of the conversation will be fairly easy to present...of course your kids won't get eaten. Look @ the movie jaws, get around all the Freudian stuff and see that it is unlikely that a great white will attack a person...unless he is an underage drinker or a boy named Alex Kintner.

The bigger problem is how do i tell them that the bass aren't all going to become pike-lunchmeat...

and further, I would like to make a BIG discouragement of bringing fish in from other, nearby BOW's in the chain of lakes. It just makes sense to me that They shouldn't be allowing this, but I would like a good message to deliver to discourage it all together..the possibilities for disaster are many (disease for one...). The main suspect no longer lives on the lake, but he is the one who put onezey in, as well as the walleye, and i think he put a bunch of crappie in as a final goodbye before he moved away. I think that's just deplorable, personally...but whatever. Maybe making a fine to boost the lake committee's pond management fund for anyone who gets caught would be a good idea.

In addition to the question above, placement of the artificial cover is a question i still haven't answered for my dad. What do you guys think? Straight out from "dad's pier" where there's a 10 ft drop is already a plan for a trio or more of the honey-hole style of cover with the soft tubing, but I know a variety of options is best, at different depths. I don't know much about fish behavior, and where the forage would prefer there to be some cover...what do you think? over on the "flat" on the north side where it just ranges from 3-6'? That was an instinct of mine, but i don;'t know if the homeowners there would appreciate it, as clear as the water is, the cover will be very visible. Maybe some rocks and boulder there would be a good idea?

Any suggestions are welcome.