Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations So it begins

Can I get a Crappie Sandwich??

Totals:

KEPT
YP = 7
BG = 34
BCR = 281

RELEASED:
NP = 4 - 28" - 34" - 36" - 40"
WE = 10 - 8 to 15 inchers
LMB = about 120 various sizes

I like the number of BCP removed. They taste great too!

Those are some pretty crappie numbers.

Congrat's on the winter harvest. Those numbers look like a darn good ice fishing season to me.

Now lets get this ice and snow off our ponds for the start of the 2013 open water season!

Roger that. Fun while it lasted, most impressive were the looks of Dwight's fish. I don't recall a bum in the lot.

Dwight reports 2.5 inches of ice on Bremer Pond. Spending the Thanksgiving week doing prep so I can get out after the December 1. New rules this year are to keep only crappie, and any NP under 30", although I have doubts that there are any that small in there.

I could probably make 2.5" of ice in my freezer. Not outside tho, unless it would be in a bucket, and wait for a long while.

Lake Michigan tossed in a few flakes, and a bit of wind today.

Air is cold, but the ground is being exothermic, and that will carry on for a while. Usually get's covered pretty good with insulation before it can freeze.

Sure am glad I didn't get stuck in Minnesota on my two previous trips there.

A good ol' cast iron pot belly stove that's glowing red, sounds to be the ticket for good warmth on a really cold day.

I kinda miss the day's of old.

Getting some lake effect showers here with a little accumulation. Roads are slick though.

I was up on a ladder in the howling wind replacing soffit pieces the wind tore down the other day. My fingers got really numb even in gloves and I had to come inside to warm them up. As they warmed up they hurt like hell!

Brook trout are only being feed every four or five days now until ice up.

Found a dead large perch in the big pond the other day.

Dang! It is cold here -- for us. Supposed to go down to 16F tonight, and we've had nasty howling winds since mid-morning. Snow flurries predicted for tomorrow, and possibly ”significant” snow late Tuesday, into Wednesday of next week. I hope not.

Late yesterday afternoon I went down to a neighboring creek to get some creek chubs, in hopes of pulling the last of the big CC out of my main pond.

Nothing happened on my overnight lines. But, I got two very nice LMB late this morning on two of those creek chubs. Both times, I thought I had a bunch of leaves, or a sunken tree branch. The LMB looked very healthy, but they were just about lifeless. I threw both of them into cages at the end of my dock, and both swam off vigorously. I don't know what my water temps are, but even the trout in the smaller put-and-take pond quit feeding over a week ago.

Sometime next week, if we are ice-free, I plan to pull the cages. I figure there must be at least enough fillets for several large neighborhood winter fish frys.

I use to say that I don't mind the cold, just hate getting dumped on with snow.

Now, I'm not too fond of the cold, must be getting old!

Dang, it is cold here--for us. In the 30's around the clock. On Turkey day it will still only be in the 50's. If this stuff continues, I'm gonna have to buy a jacket; maybe even a coat.

My normal gear for winter is just an insulated flannel shirt. I keep a spare in my truck during winter, along with a couple pairs of gloves.

I have some heavy duty Carhartt and Mossy Oak stuff, but trying to move around with those rigs, eats a bunch of energy and limits your motion.

If need be, I'll suit up, but have a point to point mentality tho.

Still not eating any bass??

Nope.

So it doesn't begin. Too friggin' cold for an older person like myself. Looks like next weekend before warmer temps and first time out. I am ready though.

I can't believe the cold temps your having, and it's not officially winter yet.

Abnormally cold here too, but not that bad!

I was out there boring holes measuring ice thickness and taking dissolved oxygen readings. If I recall I am quite a bit more geazerly than you. Geazerliness is no excuse for not going outside to play on a nice winter day.

Was the stick running low on anti-freeze?

Yeah, but is The Stick participating in your bod and brain aerobics?

I was going to send this report directly to the stick, but decided to put it here in case anyone else has an interest.

Pond report:

1. The circulator is keeping the perfect size opening in the water. Before the cold weather set in, I set it to run for 2 hours four times a day spaced evenly. The temperature must be below 20 degrees or it won't run at all.

2. The drive on point to the pond is full of snow. I drove through it with the Mule 4 or 5 times but it will still require having a shovel available. It seems like the hump there is bigger too, though I could be wrong because of the snow. I don't know why it would have changed. The water level could be a little lower than last year.

3. Snow on the way down to the drive on point is 8" and soft, lying in the alfalfa.

4. The ice is 11 inches thick.

5. The snow on the pond itself is not problematic.

6. The fish were hovering under the holes I drilled with that look, "where are the minners man?".

Now I have the flu that is kicking my butt. Hope to get out on Friday.
And yes, I did have a flu shot.

Bremer Pond zero-effort Flu/Cold Fix:

Think positive.

Put 2 ounces of vodka and 1 ounce of lime juice in a glass, no ice. Give it a little stir. Sip or guzzle (patient's choice).

Repeat until you are cured or pass out.

If you pass out, repeat until you are cured.

Sometimes that's the best way to get a good night's sleep.