Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations The Lusk Lodge "2"

The seminar was almost too good.

I met all the people I wanted to meet, met some other really good ones, and not a single one disappointed me.

After the seminar I needed a place to crash because my flight out wasn't until Monday morning.

Lusk, of course, offered to take care of me.

After breakfast with the Willis', the legendary Norm Kopecky, Bob Lusk and his beautiful bride Debbie, we took off on a ride that would end at the nearly completed Lusk Lodge "2".

It was incredible. Every single detail just dripped of the outdoors. It was sort of like taking the most beautiful outdoor scene you've ever witnessed, and then turning it inside-out so that you could cover yourself in it at night.

All the cedar, the beautiful cabinetry...it went on and on and never got old. It's still a month away, but it was easy to visualize the final product.

Lusk had some stuff to do, so he gave me a tour of the aquaculture part of the facility, then he set me loose with my pack rod to fish five different ponds.

The first pond yielded my first two feed-trained bass in short order.

The second pond my offering was chased down by thousands of bluegills.

The third pond I caught more feed-trained LMB, and some that weren't feed trained. They averaged over two pounds and were in fabulous condition.

The fourth pond gave me a special treat--my first cooppernose bluegill. This was followed up by a couple of dozen 9+ inch standard and coppernose bluegill that, believe it or not were hitting a mini buzzbait.

The fifth pond I caught big bluegill, lots of smaller largemouth and I got to watch a bunch of channel cats maw the surface for pellets, but I couldn't catch the cats.

Eventually I went back to the fourth pond and caught fish until I was almost ready to fall over.

Then Lusk made sure my belly was full of grilled pork and chicken.

Finally the ending was just a giant slab of frosting on the cake. Bob told me there was some activity near a feeder that was about to go off.

MAN, he wasn't kidding!!!

I proceeded to catch LMB to 17 inches and big, fat bluegill up to ten inches for 50 out of the next 60 casts!!!!

You know how some people preach, but can't follow their own guidelines? Well, Bob isn't one of those people. He's got those ponds fired up. It was so hot that smoke shoulda been rising off the water.

All told I caught over 100 quality fish in just a little over four hours. What a treat.

I don't think a trip could get much better. I hope Bob has a picture or two because I decided to kick my wife's camera into the pond, so I'm not sure if the photos are savable.

Thanks Bob. You sure know how to manage a pond.

Bruce...Bob...
This trip needs to be in the next silent auction! Hell, price it by the hour!
I'm in, especially for education.

really nice write up bruce (u lucky dawg), reading it almost felt like living that dream.

go to the new websters dictionary, look up "hospitality" and see a picture of Lusk there??

i like ahvatsa's idea.

dave,
You know Bruce is one of those multi talented guys, but it would seem that his real talent is being Bruce, positive is the word that comes to mind, Bob Lusk must be a similar personality.

Rad you are right. I never thought about it like that but a positive outgoing personality is the major characteristic in both of them.

Ahh, the rock star lives you guys live!

I sure hope that Bob posts lots of photos of his completed house. The photos that he has shared so far look amazing.

I forgot to mention....Lusk's bluegill have red eyes. Some of them really, really red eyes. It's spooky. I did retrieve the photos. I'll try to post later.

Glad you had a good time Bruce. I had no doubts Bob and Debbie would be hosts extrordinaire. Now if I could just get off this site and get some work done!

My first feed trained bass ever.



Crazy red-eyed bluegill with LL2 in background.



My first coppernose bluegill.



Nice LMB with lodge in background.



Big ear tab on Lusk bluegill

Dr. Bruce, You are getting pretty good at the self photography skills. Maybe you should give us lessons at the next convention.

You should also bring your daughter to give us all a lesson on using Powerpoint.
100 quality fish in four hours? I don't know if that is more of an indication of your angling skills or of Bob's management abilities. Probably lots of both. LL2 is looking fantastic, by the way!

that was fun, nice pics bruce, what a beautiful fish!! that red eye BG w/ LL2 in background needs to be on a magazine or book cover....awesome pic!

i'll stick my neck out some here......all the YOY GSF i have caught from my pond have some bright red in their eyes, none of the BG i stocked exhibit red in eyes......is it possible lusk's red eye BG have some GSF genes?

I bet Bob knows the pedigree of his BG.

Maybe half of my BG have red eyes, but I haven't seen any as bright and vivid as the one Bruce caught at LL2