Pond Boss Magazine
https://www.pondboss.com/images/userfiles/image/20130301193901_6_150by50orangewhyshouldsubscribejpeg.jpg
Advertisment
Newest Members
Shotgun01, Dan H, Stipker, LunkerHunt23, Jeanjules
18,451 Registered Users
Forum Statistics
Forums36
Topics40,899
Posts557,057
Members18,451
Most Online3,612
Jan 10th, 2023
Top Posters
esshup 28,407
ewest 21,474
Cecil Baird1 20,043
Bill Cody 15,110
Who's Online Now
16 members (emactxag, jpsdad, Dave Davidson1, Saratznj, Donatello, Layne, Freg, Sunil, tws3, rjackson, jludwig, Shorthose, DenaTroyer, Theo Gallus, Tinylake, catscratch), 650 guests, and 182 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#371379 04/06/14 03:47 PM
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 40
J
JohnnyB Offline OP
OP Offline
J
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 40
Pond opened up with the help of gradual aeration. Now that is opening I am realizing I have a major fish kill. Kicking myself for not aerating but kids ice skate so I did not want to deal with open water.

Lots of 4 to 8 inch bluegill and some bass too.

Many are frozen in the ice in the shallows??

Plowed half the pond so I had incident light through winter.

1/3 acre 10 ft deep at max. Probably averages 6.

So help me understand how this happens so I am better equipped next year.

Pond is in NO Wisconsin

Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 40
J
JohnnyB Offline OP
OP Offline
J
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 40
Sorry I meant northeastern Wisconsin

Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,358
Likes: 4
Offline
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,358
Likes: 4
It seems that despite the sunlight you might not have had enough dissolved oxygen in the pond for the long, cold winter.

Some members use continuous shallow water aeration during the winter months to maintain a small area of open water. You may find that the ice thickness is still good except immediately adjacent to the hole.

Others intermittently aerate to allow for gas exchange and then shut it off again to permit complete re-freezing. I believe Bill Cody does this -- send him a private message on the forums if he doesn't respond soon.

Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,979
Likes: 14
S
Ambassador
Lunker
Offline
Ambassador
Lunker
S
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,979
Likes: 14
I also aerate shallow intermittently. When the snow builds up, or the ice gets milky, I start up and open a pretty good sized hole, then shut it back down. The refreeze will usually produce near window pane clear ice. Repeat when necessary.


"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"

If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,544
Hall of Fame
Lunker
Offline
Hall of Fame
Lunker
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,544
I used an experimental method this year I ran my 2 shallower stations all through the ice season my pond is 12-13' ft deep at full pool and was about 9-10 with all this ice this year..thr 2 shallow stations are at 5-6 ft and 3-4 ft they ran 24 hrs a day.. A couple years I had a massive kill with half the ice and snow and duration we had this year.. I only found 6 I think it was very large lmb and one trophy BG I was very happy with that loss.. it's a schedule I will keep in my arsenal from now on..


I believe in catch and release. I catch then release to the grease..

BG. CSBG. LMB. HSB. RES.

[Linked Image from i90.photobucket.com]
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,407
Likes: 788
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,407
Likes: 788
Even with keeping the snow off some of the ice, if it's oapque ice, not a lot of light will get thru the ice. I'd try running the diffuser in shallow water near shore (about 3' depth) away from where the kids ice skate. Run it right after the snowstorms pass. That should melt a hole open, and once it's open, shut it back off. The ice should freeze clear and let a lot of sunlight through for phytoplankton ro produce O2.


www.hoosierpondpros.com


http://www.pondboss.com/subscribe.asp?c=4
3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 6,692
J
JKB Offline
Hall of Fame 2015
Lunker
Offline
Hall of Fame 2015
Lunker
J
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 6,692
In my area, I think most without an effective winter management strategy will be at a loss this year. Some ponds still have a fair amount of ice cover. It was a tough winter for ponds.

Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,792
Likes: 68
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent
Lunker
Offline
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent
Lunker
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,792
Likes: 68
Originally Posted By: sprkplug
I also aerate shallow intermittently. When the snow builds up, or the ice gets milky, I start up and open a pretty good sized hole, then shut it back down. The refreeze will usually produce near window pane clear ice. Repeat when necessary.


+1. Exactly what I do with my well when snow builds up or ice gets milky. So far, so good.


Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau

[Linked Image from i1261.photobucket.com]


Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 20,043
Likes: 1
Hall of Fame
Lunker
Offline
Hall of Fame
Lunker
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 20,043
Likes: 1
I run my 24/7. I've shut mine down even with a check valve and had the air line freeze up.


If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.






Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,105
J
Member
Offline
Member
J
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,105
I've often wondered if you could take one of the cheap gas water pumps that pump up to 2000 gallons of water per hour and drill a hole in the pond ice and quickly cover the pond with water which would remelt the snow that would refreeze clear. If that would work for those of us without electric at our ponds.


Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 20,043
Likes: 1
Hall of Fame
Lunker
Offline
Hall of Fame
Lunker
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 20,043
Likes: 1
Originally Posted By: John Monroe
I've often wondered if you could take one of the cheap gas water pumps that pump up to 2000 gallons of water per hour and drill a hole in the pond ice and quickly cover the pond with water which would remelt the snow that would refreeze clear. If that would work for those of us without electric at our ponds.


John,

I knew a fish farmer that did that. Can't get more info as he's passed away.

Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 04/16/14 04:20 PM.

If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.






Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 44
N
Fingerling
Offline
Fingerling
N
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 44
Have been running bottom diffuser in about 10' all winter, froze over completely for about two months(extreme (-)temps during this time). Now reopened but snow is too deep still to determine if we had a fish kill. Hoping with aerator running we might have dodged that bullet. Sounds like a year to not forget. Next year will consider a shallower area to run diffuser.

Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,544
Hall of Fame
Lunker
Offline
Hall of Fame
Lunker
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,544
If you ran that in 10' of water what is your deepest spot in the pond? Hopefully 10' is not your deepest hole..


I believe in catch and release. I catch then release to the grease..

BG. CSBG. LMB. HSB. RES.

[Linked Image from i90.photobucket.com]

Link Copied to Clipboard
Today's Birthdays
Bob Lusk, GaryK, GrizzFan, PhotographerDave
Recent Posts
Happy Birthday Bob Lusk!!
by Dave Davidson1 - 03/28/24 07:52 AM
Relative weight charts in Excel ? Calculations?
by jpsdad - 03/28/24 07:40 AM
Brooder Shiners and Fry, What to do??
by Freg - 03/28/24 07:28 AM
Reducing fish biomass
by esshup - 03/27/24 06:17 PM
New 2 acre pond stocking plan
by esshup - 03/27/24 06:05 PM
1 year after stocking question
by esshup - 03/27/24 06:02 PM
Questions and Feedback on SMB
by Donatello - 03/27/24 03:10 PM
Paper-shell crayfish and Japanese snails
by Bill Cody - 03/27/24 10:18 AM
2024 North Texas Optimal BG food Group Buy
by Dave Davidson1 - 03/27/24 08:15 AM
Dewatering bags seeded to form berms?
by esshup - 03/26/24 10:00 PM
Freeze Danger? - Electric Diaphragm Pump
by esshup - 03/26/24 09:47 PM
Newly Uploaded Images
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
by Tbar, December 10
Deer at Theo's 2023
Deer at Theo's 2023
by Theo Gallus, November 13
Minnow identification
Minnow identification
by Mike Troyer, October 6
Sharing the Food
Sharing the Food
by FishinRod, September 9
Nice BGxRES
Nice BGxRES
by Theo Gallus, July 28
Snake Identification
Snake Identification
by Rangersedge, July 12

� 2014 POND BOSS INC. all rights reserved USA and Worldwide

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5