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kurt #351473 09/20/13 03:10 PM
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Hey Kurt, congrats on the SMB!

It looks like on some of your photos that the big pond is still dry. Are you going to fill that one too?

kurt #352912 10/04/13 04:15 PM
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Hard to believe that I am closing the 4th year of pond building. Lets just say that I am a more knowledgable about ponds, pond building and fish than I was 4 years ago. I was not ready to jump into the pond ownership 4 years ago. Too many mistakes cost too much extra money and time, however, after 4 years and being where I am now, I don't think I would change a single thing. I hope my wife still feels that way about me?!?

When I get a bit depressed, it feels good to stop and count the blessing as I walk down memory lane.

Here is the land or cornfield as it was when we bought it.

CORNFIELD


STARTING YEAR 1 CONSTRUCTION





ENDING YEAR 1


ENDING YEAR 2


ENDING YEAR 3


ENDING YEAR 4









ADDING THE LAST FISHING PIER TO THE PERCH POND
[img]http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab108/kurped/PA020011_zps0ce7e962.jpg[/img]


Not bad for a guy who had never used tools before. The past years have seen this idiot driving skidloaders, bulldozers, backhoes, 32,000LB flat shell and sheepfoot rollers along with trying to build things like birdhouses, piers, shed and deck.

The swimming hole is now the perch pond or at least it will be in the spring. The frog ponds will be converted to the swimming hole. They have a built in 0 slope entry which will be great for kids.

Big pond to stay dry until I land a full-time job and can save a little money but it is still nice to fish the 1.25 acre pond especially now that the smallmouth and walleye are biting.

Just a few more projects this year and then the winter to plan the attack for next year. Thanks to so many for help, insight and assistance. Being a pondmiester is not easy, cheap or even reasonable, but it sure can be fun!!!

Last edited by kurt; 10/04/13 04:17 PM.

13 acres,
5 ponds 1 still working
FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch
living the dream




Can't have everything...where would you put it?
kurt #352923 10/04/13 07:29 PM
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Kurt, you should be very pleased and proud of your work. Most of us bought our ponds already done and have no idea of the magnitude of your labor. I hope everything turns out great for you in the future. I have enjoyed your thread more then any other one on this forum. Take care.


Two ponds, 13 and 15 acres on the Mattaponi River.
kurt #358310 11/26/13 03:38 PM
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Several friends not mine, I don’t have any… people either hate me or don’t know me yet, but moving on, have asked why an idiot like me would try to build ponds when putting my shirt on NOT inside out and NOT backwards is an engineering accomplishment for me (ask my wife).

I think the answer lies with my mom. My mom was a nutcase, I would say eclectic but then we would have to have 30 minute discussion on its meaning and proper use so to avoid it I say nutcase. In her chaos and insanity, my mom love wildlife. Our house resembled a zoo more often than not. For several years growing up, my mom would call in the dogs and put out 2 extra bowls of dog food and watch the raccoons come in and eat mama and the babies first and after her the rest. My mom would occasionally take us fishing but more often than not forget on purpose her pole. She would open up her book and listen to the birds. If we forced her to fish she would throw out her line with no bait or lure. For years I thought she was the ‘unluckiest’ fisherperson in the world.

Unfortunately my mom passed away before I started down the pond road but even still her influence runs through me and into my kids. The kids are young but my son wants to be a farmer and paleontologist and my daughter wants to be a zoologist rehabbing rescued birds. For me, her influence is seen in the picture. What better way to spend the day than with your son (or daughter) getting your line wet catching walleye, smallmouth and catfish from your ponds while the wildlife (deer, birds, frogs, etc.) do their thing?

It has taken a lot of time and there is still a lot of work to do but when I look at the ponds, I see my mom’s reflection.






Miss you, mom…wish you were here…no fishing pole required!



here comes winter, time to start planning for next spring. Again, thanks to all for inputs and insights over the 4 year. Thanks for good inputs, Bob Lusk, Bill Cody, Ewest, Dr. Willis, and maqny others and the ridiculous inputs, teejay and others. Truely, without them, I would be even more lost than I am. Happy Holidays


13 acres,
5 ponds 1 still working
FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch
living the dream




Can't have everything...where would you put it?
kurt #358500 11/28/13 08:28 PM
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Love this post!

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Originally Posted By: liquidsquid
Love this post!

Me too! You did good and your mom is proud of you and all you have accomplished!!! She will always be with you.


[Linked Image from i108.photobucket.com]
kurt #374936 05/02/14 03:09 PM
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Finally, another milestone in the epic pond building saga. We stocked yellow perch in the perch pond. Yes, yes, I know, it really was not the perch pond until we stocked perch. You all are sticklers for everything.

Look at that smile!!! That what it is all about. Thanks to Keystone Hatchery. Great guys, great fish.




13 acres,
5 ponds 1 still working
FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch
living the dream




Can't have everything...where would you put it?
kurt #383345 07/26/14 01:43 PM
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Hello again everyone,

So little time and so much work to do at the ponds that I hardly ever get on the forum site anymore. Hope everyone is doing well. I hope the perch like it.

PERCH POND


Now that the perch are stocked, I added the aerator and some tires as floating islands. If they work I will post more details on how. FREE and CHEAP are the words of the unemployed so I am trying different things. How does the rip rap look? I hire an rock specialist to fly in from Italy to hand select each piece of limestone then I placed each stone with great care by hand, 1 by 1.

LEAN TO

Built this lean to to hold the outdoor equipment. Pallets are free.

MY FRIEND


This frog is always in the same place, just sitting there. I call him Jeff Cote after a dear friend.

DINNER BELL


This is the navy bell from my Mom's Dad's ship he served on in the Navy (my grandfather). As kids when we were playing in the neighborhood, my mom would ring it, it meant we had 5 minutes to get home for dinner or bed. If you hear the bell ringing, come on over cuz its fish eating time.


13 acres,
5 ponds 1 still working
FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch
living the dream




Can't have everything...where would you put it?
kurt #383425 07/27/14 08:15 PM
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Kurt I figured this must be your place as I was flying by and decided to snap a quick pic.

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Nice picture of his place and nice of you to take it for him.

Looks like he still has the big pond to look forward to finishing.


John

I subscribe to Pond Boss Magazine
kurt #383432 07/27/14 09:19 PM
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Ponds turned out very nice kurt. Bet your family are enjoying them. They look very inviting.

Good choice on the Italian guy wink . Rocks turned out good.

Nice touch of elegance adding the solar lights to the used tire path.

Nothing wrong with recycling.

Last edited by snrub; 07/27/14 09:22 PM.

John

I subscribe to Pond Boss Magazine
kurt #383486 07/28/14 12:04 PM
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COOL P[ICTURE!!! THANKS.


13 acres,
5 ponds 1 still working
FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch
living the dream




Can't have everything...where would you put it?
kurt #383544 07/29/14 11:46 AM
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So does this mean I need to now buy a plane to be a true pondmeister? Thanks again tnoble. Next time you are slumming it as a land lover, stop on by. I am there most Sundays and Mondays.

AWESOME PIC


13 acres,
5 ponds 1 still working
FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch
living the dream




Can't have everything...where would you put it?
kurt #385124 08/15/14 03:05 PM
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"Idle hands get in the way of the Devil's work", Basil Fawlty. I try to stay busy so here is my backyard pond, 12x15 3.5 ft deep with shinners and fatheads. I will put in a few bluegill in the spring. We can fish from the deck and catch dinner!

Just what my wife wanted was another hole in the ground.




13 acres,
5 ponds 1 still working
FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch
living the dream




Can't have everything...where would you put it?
kurt #390418 10/23/14 11:52 AM
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As another year of pond work comes to close, my son finally sees. feels and lands what the big picture is. He caught his first smallmouth and walleye. Nothing huge but a whole lot of fun!!!










This is what it is all about. Spending time together. Me doing all the work, My son getting all the glory.



13 acres,
5 ponds 1 still working
FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch
living the dream




Can't have everything...where would you put it?
kurt #390454 10/23/14 07:57 PM
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Very nice Kurt. Makes it all worthwhile, doesn't it? smile


"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.
kurt #418475 07/14/15 01:55 PM
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Been awhile. I apologize for no new pictures, I left the camera at home. Things are moving ever so slowly but most of the time they are at least moving in the right direction.

Next week I finish the crayfish pond. It is a small pond for crayfish population to get started then move them to the SMB pond as they become established.

SMB, WE and CC are doing well. I need to harvest 30 or so cats this summer. I just finished building a fish cleaning station so very soon the fun will begin.

As long as I have you here, quick question.

May 2014 I stocked 50 3-5" and 25 5-7" yellow perch into the perch pond. The pond is not large, 1/4 acre, max depth 8 ft. It is aerated. 1 year earlier the pond was stocked with fatheads and golden shiners. When the perch were stocked and even to this day, there are a lot of minnows running around the pond as well as all the other insect complements.

Here is the question and concern,

The first year we did not fish the perch pond at all, just allowing perch to be, but this spring I started trying to catch some perch to check on sizes and health. For 2 months (may and june)I caught nothing. I tried beetle spins, jigs, worms and minnows. Eventually, I started getting nibbles on the worms. I caught a couple of shiners (I remember Mark's article 'The Glory Hour') and then I finally caught 1 perch about 7 inches long.

Questions...
1. Is there just so much natural forage that the perch are hard to catch?

2. Is it possible that the pond is too small and the perch winterkilled? I have not seen over the year any signs of winterkill.


thanks


13 acres,
5 ponds 1 still working
FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch
living the dream




Can't have everything...where would you put it?
kurt #418509 07/14/15 10:21 PM
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I have a ton of perch, and not one of them seems stupid enough to jump on a hook lately. I think they are a specific time of day fish, like just after the sun sets, or when you are trying to catch something else.

I doubt winter kill as they can survive very low O2 levels other fish cannot.

Try feeding them in the same place and same sun position every evening as the sun sets. They will hit surface feed once they are comfortable and then you can count them.

kurt #422041 08/24/15 12:20 PM
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Busy, busy, busy. Just trying to finish up summer projects before starting the fall projects. With the fish doing well, it is harder and harder to stay on task.

I saw baby fatheads this weekend so 2 years after stocking walleye and smallmouth, enough fatheads are surviving to reproduce still. I try to move 1 lb of fatheads from my forage pond down every month or so to keep a supply. Something must be working cuz fish are growing and the smallmouth have spawned successfully two years in row.

If anyone in debate about stocking in northern ponds. Please consider smallmouth. I am so glad I listen to you guys and read Bill Cody's 5 part series on smallies. I had never caught a smallmouth until the pond, but WOW are they fun!! If you are thinking fish, follow Cornwell's baitfish cocktail article and then read Cody's articles. You will not be disappointed. We stocked the smallies and walleye in 2013, smallies 40 (2-4") and 25 (4-6") in a 1.25 acre pond. Low numbers, great growth!

back to fish, I mean back to work, wink.

Pondmeister junior



SUCCESS!!!


Two handsome guys, hard to tell who is younger. I still have it.


ornamental pond or something almost done.


13 acres,
5 ponds 1 still working
FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch
living the dream




Can't have everything...where would you put it?
kurt #422044 08/24/15 02:21 PM
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Way to go Kurt!

Nice when a plan works out.


John

I subscribe to Pond Boss Magazine
kurt #425066 09/28/15 12:38 PM
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How do you know your are pondmiester? One way is when you spend several hours catching and throwing grasshoppers into pond to watch smallmouths come to surface and eat them.







My sons first officially caught and landed walleye



13 acres,
5 ponds 1 still working
FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch
living the dream




Can't have everything...where would you put it?
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