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Joined: Feb 2011
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Thanks guys. I probably could have started moving them earlier this summer, but I wanted to get them a tad bigger to get them though to the first spawn next year.
With all the LMB taken out of the big puddle this year, I should have a forage rich environment by next summer. At least I hope I do.
AL
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we had a forage pond just like yours.... till the heat got it and dried it up... . we were pulling out 2-5' cbg when we'd siegn ..and feed the other ponds....worked quite well... we also had a 200# streen feeder feeding them... .fat little guys..
great show!
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It's cold and windy and I'm bored, so here's a small update. The rip rap I added to act as a fish barrier worked well. It was primarily added to keep LMB from entering this pond during high water periods, but it flowed well with our recent heavy rains. I did not want to add a conventional fence barrier here because of potential blockage problems, so all turned out good. I also aggressively managed the shoreline weeds and transplanted Bermuda plugs this Summer and this has really kept the shoreline clean and made the dam very easy to take care of. I had intended to seine and size the CNBG this Fall, but waited due to an Eurasian Watermilfoil outbreak in this pond. That has been corrected, so we'll pick a nice day and move some fish.
AL
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I've just read this whole thread from start to finish.
Thanks FireIsHot for documenting your project. I have toyed with the idea of putting a small forage pond next to my main pond next spring.
Being able to see what you have done from start up to this point is a great service you have provided for the rest of us to learn from your success as well as your mistakes.
Thanks again!
John
I subscribe to Pond Boss Magazine
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Exceptional effort AND documentation Al....Everything looks great! I'm looking forward to seeing some photos of those CNBG!
"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.
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Thanks guys. Posting the mistakes is the most important part. I lost a year due to mine, and maybe somebody else can avoid the same ones.
I'm sure I'll make more, but hopefully not the same ones.
AL
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FIH, Where did you get your Bermuda plugs?
1 ac pond LMB, BG, RES, CC
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As silly as it sounds, I've watched golf courses over the years to know when to fertilize, spray weeds, overseed, etc. I noticed most had nursery areas where they groomed turf grass to fill in bare spots on the course itself. So, I have an area where I spray and mow Bermuda and use those for plugs.
I usually just get a few plugs at a time with a sharp shooter, and place them close to the water line so no watering is required. Once they root, they spread like crazy.
AL
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Ahh, you don't buy the plugs, you make them.
1 ac pond LMB, BG, RES, CC
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Nah, I expect that he steals them from the golf courses.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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Dave I hate you feel I'd do something like that, but I can confirm that Crenshaw Creeping bentgrass doesn't do well for erosion control.
AL
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Crenshaw creeping bentgrass? That must be something specific to cow pasture pool.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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No wind this morning, so I decided to finally pull some CNBG by hook and line. Guess what? I've got green sunfish again. Big beautiful ones I might add. I tried to do everything right after the last time this happened. Drain, seine, and used hydrated lime to kill out the pond. Set up a blocking net at the inlet, and rock barrier at the overflow. I still got them. I think I'll wait until later in the year, and drain the pond again. This will be a good opportunity to get the pond rebuilt the way I should have done it in the first place. Good news is the CNBG I did catch from last year's stocking looked great. I waited to pull these fish until they were large enough to spawn. They are. I transferred 30 to the big puddle, and all were in the 7 to 7 3/4" range. The sunfish, sunfish bluegill hybrids, and all small CNBG will go in the back pond that I had put the 4 female LMB in last year. All the adult CNBG from the original stocking will go in the big puddle. No fish will go to waste. Best laid plans....
AL
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Allen, That is one healthy looking fish, but I would not want to see its cholesterol numbers!!
Nicely done!
Sorry to hear about the GSF. That is bummer, especially when you went to such lengths to get rid of them. Life is tenacious.
Last edited by highflyer; 04/17/14 04:20 PM.
Brian
The one thing is the one thing A dry fly catches no fish Try not to be THAT 10%
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Al, that fish is absolutely stunning. Very well done!
"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.
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Tony, I'm walking on egg shells here, and will deny anything I might say after this. The bluegill/sunfish hybrids were BRUTES! There, I said it. I'm glad anything you post on the internet goes away in a month or two. Tony, I can see the appeal there for you. My CNBG goals are pretty well defined, and I'm getting closer every day, but I don't see a need to waste these hybrids. They were in the 5-6" range, but easily twice as wide as the pure CNBG. This will be their new home. It has been cleaned up a smidge since this pic was taken.
AL
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Don't fight it Al, just roll with it.
Let's see, first it was Yolk, then Al. Yes, yes, it's all starting to come together now...
"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.
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That don't look like a GSF to me!
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The only problem I see with GSF is that just might bust up tackle when you want to fish for those sissy CNBG.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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Dave you're being hurtful. I was going to say that my CNBG led a sheltered life, but that obviously isn't the case. There were a few fish that I questioned, so I'll try to get some more pics today.
AL
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Just think what would happen if GSF got as big as BG. I like GSF. But then, I always preferred mutts with a doubtful pedigree over pure bred.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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That don't look like a GSF to me! Thankfully it's not! I decided these largest CNBG are all that will go into the big puddle until I can get a better feel for some of the smaller fish that I'm almost sure are hybrids. The good part of all this is that whatever happened, happened months after the restocking so the culling should be pretty straight forward. esshup, I've pretty well decided that this pond location is going to be a battle forever, and I'll need to move some dirt this year. Either reroute runoff from the pasture above mine, which will be an epic ordeal, or just build another brood pond that can be better controlled.
AL
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I haven’t posted anything on this thread in a while, because there’s been nothing new to add. When I started this pond, the purpose was for breeders, not forage. Since all I was wanting was CNBG big enough to survive the LMB, I waited until most of the males hit 8”. The female CNBG are currently 6” to 6. ½”. So it’s time to pull the CNBG. I bought a hoop net, and will try to get some numbers moved this weekend. I did notice that any hybrids I caught by hook and line were 3” to 5" so the GSF infestation probably happened last fall. This has made it easier to identify and pull them for relocation. After cutting their tail off, the pure GSF I catch are being fed to my LMB, and they love them.
AL
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Awesome dynamics on those fish, Al......I predict truly great things lie ahead.
"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.
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Tony, I hope so. IIRC, these pics are from the end of April, and M/F are slightly longer right now. I've talked to Todd Overton several times during all this about the characteristics of the OTS CNBG strain. They should be getting taller and broader as the length gains slow down. I've caught several 11+" native Florida CNBG out of the big puddle this year, and none of the them held the weight I felt like they should. I'm hoping these will.
AL
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Moderated by Bill Cody, Bruce Condello, catmandoo, Chris Steelman, Dave Davidson1, esshup, ewest, FireIsHot, Omaha, Sunil, teehjaeh57
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BG sex?
by tim k - 05/12/24 07:01 AM
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