Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Come to Pond Boss VI

Folks,
Below is the program for Pond Boss VI. Believe me, you don't want to miss this conference! The speakers are outstanding and Debbie has some great stuff for the spouses as well. We've only got 6 people signed up for the fishing tournament, so you need to get in on that, too. Please review the program below and ask any questions you have. Here's a link to find how to register. Or, call the office during business hours and get signed up as soon as you can. (800)687-6075 or (903)564-6144. Not only will you get more knowledge than you ever expected, you'll meet people who will become life-long friends...common interests do that for us.

http://www.pondboss.com/events.asp?id=7

Pond Boss VI Conference and Expo Program: Details

Wednesday, February 18, 2015
5:00 pm Registration Opens: Hotel Foyer
6:00 pm Special Audience with “The Legends”.
Drs. Richard O. (Dick) Anderson, Claude Boyd, and Steve Flickinger
This event is set up for Pond Pros who would like to visit with and honor a few of the “old timers”, legends in academia whose research helped set the stage for our industry.

Thursday, February 19, 2015
7:00-11:30 am Pond Pro Series—Breakfast Symposium
This breakfast is set up for Professional Pond Managers or advanced landowners who wish to hear details about a diverse number of topics related to the trade
2-5:00 pm Conference Registration: Hotel Foyer
1-5:00 Fishing Tournament—Sponsored by Vertex & Pond Boss—Sue Cruz
6-7:30 Ice Breaker—Pre-conference area (I hear that George Glazener will be here for that! You MUST meet George)
7:30 Supper with the Stars: Limited seating: Meet & visit with Moderators, Legends, Mike Otto & Bob Lusk. This supper is set up for a more intimate time with some of the better known people of Pond Boss.


Friday, February 20, 2015,
7:00 am Breakfast Served
8:00 am Conference Registration: Pre-conference space
Expo opens: Ballroom
8:30 am Welcome to Pond Boss VI—Bob Lusk & Mike Otto

8:45-10:15 Session I—Building the Perfect Pond
Mike Otto—Building the Best Lake: Jim Swanson’s Project. Otto recently built a 10 acre lake in north Texas, working with a dynamic man. It was a thoughtful project, one that includes many aspects that you may not have thought about with your project.
Michael Gray—You Have a Leaky Pond? Michael works in extremely rocky soils in Tennessee, comes across leaky ponds often and helps shed some light on why ponds leak and what you might be able to do to prevent or stop a leak.
Dave Sefton—Building Waterfowl Habitat. Dave has worked on numerous projects in South Central Illinois. Today, he shares the thought process and methods of building effect waterfowl attracting habitat.

10:15-10:30 Break
10:30-noon Session II—Healthy Water, Healthy Pond
Patrick Simmsgeiger—Water Quality & Lake Health: Proactive Management. Patrick, from Orange County, California, uses his professional experiences diagnosing lake and pond problems using actual case studies where he teaches us how to predict aquatic issues and to use the best practices to protect your pond or lake’s biological investment.
Joe Holz— Aeration and Its effects on Water Quality. Joe discusses practical knowledge of aeration and its direct benefits to aquatic environments. He also shares the common methods of water movement.
Kevin Ripp—Natural Pond Management. Kevin, the “Bug Man”, shares his knowledge and experience how different types of water amendments, primarily beneficial microbes, influences the natural processes your water uses to breakdown its nutrient load.
Patrick Goodwin—Aeration: A Key Tool to Restoring Aquatic Systems. Patrick shares research about processing nutrients and sediment breakdown via aeration. He’ll share knowledge how aeration facilitates water’s ability to manage its natural biology to expedite and maintain healthy water.
Noon-1:30 Walking, Talking Lunch in the Expo. Grab a Pond Boss apron, and your lunch and spend the next hour and a half getting to know our vendors and each other.

1:30-3:30 Session III—Successful Tools for Better Fish
Greg Grimes—Don’t Give Up! Trials of Watery Ideas. Greg has “been there, done that.” In this talk, our friend from Georgia shares his experiences working with one of his best clients, trying to turn an old hatchery pond into a great fishing lake. With obstacles tough to overcome, they finally figured out the combination to make this pond a success.
Steven Bardin—Catch Records. Using Your Data for Wise Decisions. You keep hearing “Keep Catch Records”. Yes, you do. But, what do you do with those records? Texas biologist Steven Bardin shows you a great idea how to use your records to make proactive decisions how to keep your fishery on an upward growth curve.
Dave Beasley—Firing on All Cylinders: Making your Pond’s Engine Run Smoothly. Virginia fisheries biologist and regular Pond Boss contributor, Dave Beasley uses a case study to teach us about all the different elements it takes for a pond to “work”. Many of us think we can do one or two simple things and have great fish. Beasley brings the pieces of the aquatic puzzle together to get results.
Bruce Condello—Quarry from a Quarry—Unorthodox Ways to Grow Huge Fish. Nebraska expert, Pond Boss contributor and moderator, and owner of www.bigbluegill.com, Bruce Condello shares what he’s done to grow giant fish in the rock pit outside his back door. His methods are completely out of the ordinary and may spur you to think outside the box for your small waters.

3:30-5:00 Outside! (If the weather allows) Hands-on to see the newest pond stuff. The goal here is to receive hands-on experience with the newest, best equipment in the pond management business.
3:30 Expo Closes

6:00-7:30 Cruise on the Party Boat 1: Heavy Hors d’oeuvres, cash bar & music (reservations) This will definitely be a highlight of the conference. For $37.50 per person, cruise the lake on a 57 foot, enclosed party boat. Food, cash bar and great music, two trips.
7:45-9:15 Cruise on the Party Boat 2: Heavy Hors d’oeuvres, cash bar & music

Saturday, February 21, 2015

7:00 am Breakfast Served: Pre-Conference Area
Registration Pre-Conference Area
8:00 Expo opens

8:00-10:15 Session IV: New, Fun & Different Ideas
Nate Herman—Make Magic with your Lake: Amenities You Need. The Star of DIY TV’s “Lake Life” TV show and premier pond management expert from Peoria, Illinois, Nate will talk about some of coolest ideas they’ve had to add amenities for enjoyment of your pond or lake.
Brian Hoffman—Charge! Solar Power—when the sun shines. Brian, a full time FedEx pilot from , spends lots of time on the Pond Boss forum, learning volumes and teaching. He has a passion for outside-the-box thinking and uses his technical nature to figure out what you can and can’t do with solar power. He shares his successes and the limits of using the sun for power.
Craig Upstrom—What’s the Hullabaloo about Freshwater Shrimp as Forage? A recent article in BassMaster Magazine introduced the use of Macrobrachium rosenbergii (freshwater prawns) as a possible forage item for largemouth bass ponds. Craig Upstrom, from Weatherford, Texas, is the supplier of these animals and introduces you to other ideas to use prawns.
**Bob King—Aquaponics. For You? Bob King, from Granbury, Texas, is an entrepreneur and expert in Aquaponics. He’ll teach us the best ways to have a backyard aquaponic system, all the way up to a commercial system. Grow fish and greenery for your property.
Scott Tucker—Pond Management Down Under. Great friend Scott Tucker makes the trek from Australia to show us techniques the pond management industry uses half-way around the world.
Sandy Moore—Ensure Confidence: Insurance for Rural Recreational Property. Sandy, from Whitesboro, Texas, insures many farm and ranch properties. She’ll give you some hints for the best coverage for your property. Like much of what we do, it’s often the “little things” we don’t think about that could make a big difference.
**Eric West—Cross your Legal “T’s” and Dot those “I’s”. Legal considerations when owning recreational property.

10:15-10:30 Break

10:30-Noon Session V: Advanced Fisheries Management
Bob Lusk—Stocking Strategies Beyond the Box. Bob, the “Pond Boss” has tried many different stocking strategies over his 35 year career. Here’s the latest cutting edge stocking ideas and management strategy to grow the largest bass possible, with consideration to preserving the longevity of your bass fishery. He’ll show you how to grow more numbers of fast growing, young 6 pound bass in 2.5 years.
Jason Breeggeman—Trophy Bass Science: 4 Elements of Growing Huge Bass. This is a “must-see” presentation for the entire conference. Jason, Ph.D. student from South Dakota State University, has spent nearly two years on a private preserve in east Texas, studying the behavior patterns of radio-tagged largemouth bass. He’s collected fascinating data of large bass movement patterns, information that will completely surprise you, and make you rethink largemouth bass management. He’s also studied feeding habits of the bass population in that same 125 acre lake, studying what the bass eat compared to what’s available. That information could influence forage fish stocking decisions. Do not miss this talk, if you want to learn cutting-edge science about largemouth bass. Of more importance, this research project is a shining example of a new trend in education, privately funded science partnerships with academia.
Drs. Brian Graeb/Katie Bertrand/Troy Grovenburg—Habitat Curve—New Thinking for Practical, Research-based Management that YOU can do with tools you already use. Research often begets questions, as it answers some. Data collected from Jason Breeggeman’s project led to new questions and these scientists collaborated to create a new model that will pique your interest. They take clues you have at hand about your fishery and tie them together in a scientific way to help you decide if you have enough of the right kind of habitat…or not.

Noon-1:00 Box Lunch in Expo

1:00-3:00 Session VI: Important Pond Management strategies
Kelly Duffie—Aquatic Plants and Their Role in your Pond. Aquatic plants play a vital role in nurturing your pond and its fishery. But, how much of the green stuff is enough and when does it become a problem? Kelly Duffie, aquatic plant expert from Houston, Texas, gives us a primer in aquatic plant life, how to classify plants and figure out the best methods to manage them to your benefit.
Greg Grimes—Feeding Fish: Feed Performance Study with Bluegills. Greg did a study of different brands of fish foods to study the growth rates of bluegill in cages. The results are compelling.
Dale Baden—Feeding Programs in Today’s Fish World. Dale, from San Antonio, Texas, has interviewed fisheries managers around the nation to see trends in feeding programs. In today’s world, people have different motives to feed their fish. Dale shares those ideas with our crowd.

3:00-3:15 Break

3:15-5:30 Session VII: Wildlife Management
Bob McFarland—Fun with Wood Ducks. Bob & Donna McFarland retired to family property near Talco, Texas, north of Mt. Vernon. There, they discovered a passion for wood ducks. True conservationists, they show us where that passion has taken them.
Dr. Troy Grovenburg—About Raptors. Dr. Grovenburg, from Brookings, South Dakota, teaches us facts about raptors that ordinary people would never know.
Dan VanSchaik—Integrating Wildlife on Your Property: What Should a Great Wildlife Plan Look Like? Renowned wildlife biologist, from Gordonville, Texas, Dan V. takes us through the process of setting up a wildlife plan. If you want to attract wildlife to your rural recreational property, don’t miss this talk.

5:30 Expo Ends
7:30 Banquet

**These three speakers are tentative, will confirm soon.

Just a note to whoever is still on the fence about going or not.

If you are here for information about ponds, projects around the pond or wildlife around the pond, get registered and go. Don't even give it a second thought.

There is so much information available at the conference that it'll blow your mind. Not only from the speakers, but from everyone else that attends. Think of it as being in the middle of the forum but hearing all the different threads at once.

Bring a legal pad of paper and take notes. There will be so much information talked about that there is no way that you can ever remember it all.

Wow looks like it will be a great event.

Can't wait!

Something tells me the "Cruise on the Party Barge" has all the makings of a infamous chapter in PB Conference history. Al - any shot we can get you tubing?

I'm FINALLY getting off my butt and registering/booking a room while I still can get one. That will get my wife off my butt.

Thinking back on all of them in the past. They're fun and I've made a lot of friends.

Scotty Tucker from Australia and TJ in the same room. Fasten your seat belts. Here we go again.

I remember getting on here and arguing with a guy many years ago. Then I found out that it was Dick Anderson, the Godfather of ponds. Oh, that Dick Anderson. I shut up and quit on that one.

Kelly Duffie; his advice may have just kept me from doing Federal time about 10 years ago. Please don't ask.

The Wildlife sessions have always been some of the heaviest attended. Mel, the bird guy proved, a couple of years ago, that we are all as interested in other life on our properties as we are fish. That surprised me. I don't get wood ducks on my ponds but might if I built some houses for them. Dan Van Schaik is generally the best attended session of all. We like our wildlife and he got me off my butt on several areas.

Looking forward to it.

Maybe. It depends on the ne'er do wells on the barge. Nothing safe usually happens after the sun goes down.

It is a nighttime boat ride......


What will Dreamboat Annie/FIH/Allen Hall do???

Bob,

Great selection of speakers! Looking forward to Greg's, Kelly's and Jason's talks to name a few.

Exactly my sentiments...all ingredients are there for chaotic mayhem - trolling moderators to see what bites, bearded dreamboat Annie tubing, maybe even mutiny led by eventual Captain Cody. I'm definitely booking one of these rides, maybe both. Rest assured, we will eventually assume control of the vessel...someone's been eating all the strawberries, anyhow!

Et tu, Sunil? Et tu.

There should be a nationwide curfew by the time Conan O'Brien comes on.

I registered for the Friday Night Boat Ride.

Cody is going to be a no-show, unfortunately.

Register? That's not very piratesque - I'll be boarding the barge repelling from the bridge with knife betwixt my teeth. Argh, ye lubbers, Captain HUD is assuming control of thee Olde Party Barge - stand and deliver!

"Stand and Deliver??"

You gonna be espousing the benefits of calculus??

I was thinking of Adam Ant pirate getup in "Stand and Deliver" video - sans the war paint makeup. You know, stand and deliver, your money or your life? Likely very few Adam Ant fans in the Pond Boss family, I guess.

I just put some info about the conference on my blog and facebook page and tagged a few people I thought would be really interested in coming. yall should all let your friends know about the conference as well.

Nate, I taught you how to cast a fly rod in the hall at the Arlington conference center - you better have a fly fishing story in your presentation!
IIRC, Brandon Powers took over when he saw me teaching you my bad casting habits....

Looking forard to seeing you my friend.
George

Sorry, TJ!

Wrong "Stand & Deliver!"

That allusion had a slim chance of connecting, anyhow. I must consider my audience! Regardless, since Captain Cody is remaining in OH, someone's gotta step up to lead the mutiny.

George, I will never forget that day!!


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