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
Posts557,053
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
11 members (Layne, Shorthose, DenaTroyer, jludwig, Theo Gallus, jpsdad, Tinylake, catscratch, Brandon Larson, Dave Davidson1, Blestfarmpond), 631 guests, and 181 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 22 of 32 1 2 20 21 22 23 24 31 32
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 212
Likes: 5
Offline
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 212
Likes: 5
Sounds like you have created an Alpine Lake paradise for brookies, wbuffetjr! It won't be long and you'll have every bear in the county expecting a fish dinner. Any grizzlies in the area?

Just curious, how many watts is the wind turbine?

Don't be shy about posting photos, I am sure there are others like me who really envy the solitude and scenery of your property.

Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
W
OP Offline
W
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
Joey - thank you!

Thankfully no Grizzlies around us. In past years when we had fish kills every year we have every bear in the county at our pond at ice out.

The turbine should be capable of producing 2,000 watts. Right now it is a big learning experience with tuning this power curve. Much more complicated than I expected. I have the curve/turbine toned down substantially during this learning phase and it shouldn't be able to produce max power. I will be back out there at the end of September and plan to experiment more and leave it less restricted for the Winter.

Last Fall I stocked 300 Brookies and 100 Splake (Brook Trout x Lake Trout). We only caught three fish this Summer. The last fish got killed so we didn't fish it anymore after that. All three fish that were caught were Splake. I know three fish isn't a large sample size, but I thought it was interesting no one caught any Brookies. I am wondering if all the Brookies I stocked died and the Splake survived due to hybrid vigor?? Highflyer went out with his super fancy fish finder and didn't count many fish at all. ~30 fish IIRC. Those will be my guinea pigs for this coming Winter.

I am waiting to stock more Brookies until 2020. A local hatchery is going to hatch a batch of Temiscamie Brook Trout and I want to start off with those genetics. Waiting another full year to stock sucks!!

Forgot to mention we also put 40 tons of rip rap on the dam this trip. I expected 40 tons to go a lot farther than it did....


I will post more pics for sure. Here's one of the Splake we caught. This was the smallest one. Didn't have phone with us for the other ones.



My son caught the biggest Rainbow in a neighbor's lake I have ever personally seen caught.


Last edited by wbuffetjr; 08/04/19 11:33 AM.

Keep This Forum Viable, Read Pond Boss Magazine -
America's Journal of Pond Management
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 212
Likes: 5
Offline
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 212
Likes: 5
2,000 Watts? Coupled with your solar panels, sounds like you have enough power to spend most of the year there. If the winters weren't so tough at 10k, that would make a great retirement property. I bet the night sky is amazing and watching a meteor shower must be a sight to behold.

I have never seen a rainbow that big, personally. I know they catch them that size in Lake Michigan but I am a fly fisher and don't venture out into open waters much. Did you eat the splake and or the rainbow? What color was the flesh? Nothing tastes better than wood grilled trout, except maybe smoked trout.

Last edited by Joey Quarry; 08/04/19 11:53 AM.
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
W
OP Offline
W
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
I am truly blessed to be there. At night it looks like the Milky Way is laying right on top of you. First time I was ever up there I immediately saw why they call it the Milky Way. Being from Atlanta I had NEVER seen anything like it. This Summer up there I saw a meteor go across the sky that was like the size of a pencil eraser. It was like I could see the fire around the edges of it. Truly astonishing.

Yes 2,000 watts around 25mph SHOULD be it's peak. I expect it to spend a lot more time in the 500-1,000 watt range. Most of our really big wind is in the Winter though so it should be a perfect combo.

We did eat the Splake and it was good, but not as good as the Brook Trout from last year. More like the Lake Trout I have eaten. The Splake's meat was pinkish, but the Brookies meat was more than Pink. It looked and tasted more like Salmon. That's one of the reasons I am determined to grow big Brookies.

Here's another cool pic from this Summer. I got one similar to this a couple years ago, but didn't catch the rainbow quite in time. This year I caught it when it was right in the lake!!


Last edited by wbuffetjr; 08/04/19 12:08 PM.

Keep This Forum Viable, Read Pond Boss Magazine -
America's Journal of Pond Management
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 2,344
Likes: 101
Offline
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 2,344
Likes: 101
That is Fantastic! I saw a rainbow once on my old place that terminated in the lower pasture, but getting a photo of a double in the lake is just awesome! I would have been temped to get in the water just to see if anything magical happened and I'm not superstitious at all.


Fish on!,
Noel
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
W
OP Offline
W
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
Thanks QA! After seeing this a second time I was thinking we may need to rent some scuba gear!!

Did you see my post about DO levels and the turbine? I think you will like it!


Keep This Forum Viable, Read Pond Boss Magazine -
America's Journal of Pond Management
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,177
Likes: 28
L
Offline
L
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,177
Likes: 28
What a beautiful place!

Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 212
Likes: 5
Offline
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 212
Likes: 5
It makes you want to sing a John Denver song, sitting around a campfire while everybody is...

Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 1,470
Likes: 107
R
Offline
R
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 1,470
Likes: 107
That's it me a toto our packing up tonight..... Headed for the mountains


The people who say I can't do it can just sit the @^#% down and watch me. Friends call me Rusto I also subscribe to pond boss mag. http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=504716#Post504716
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
Chad you have a ton going on...I hope we can chat soon and can learn more about your project and results. You've worked damned hard to get this figured out.

How did you polymer treatment go?


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 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
W
OP Offline
W
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
Haha thanks Fellas! I'm definitely lucky to get to spend time there. Only wish I got more of it.

Tj - thanks again! Polymer went well! Still have about half of it left to put out. Was going to do that in Sept. It definitely slowed the seep behind the damn. Hoping the second app finishes it off.


Keep This Forum Viable, Read Pond Boss Magazine -
America's Journal of Pond Management
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
W
OP Offline
W
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
Well, more learning going on. Which is a good thing. I LOVE TO LEARN!! It is so much better than things just going smoothly! I mean who likes smooth?? Why would you want things to just work? Constant issues and getting smarter is so much fun!!

Looks like we have a pretty serious "grass blade bloom" going on. Not sure exactly why this happened this year. Never seen anything like it before. Clearly we are rocking the boat and Mother Nature is reacting.

Leaving in 3 days and heading West for elk season. Looking forward to getting up there and figuring out what the heck is going on...... and getting SMARTER! YAY!







Keep This Forum Viable, Read Pond Boss Magazine -
America's Journal of Pond Management
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,110
Likes: 476
B
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
B
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,110
Likes: 476
Those could be flakes of the bluegreen algae Aphanizomenon. When it is blooming well it can appear as grass clippings.


aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine -
America's Journal of Pond Management
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 48
Likes: 1
D
Offline
D
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 48
Likes: 1
How can you tell bill if that is what it is? Is there a test?

Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
W
OP Offline
W
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
I am almost certain that is what it is. My pics look identical to Googled images of Aphanizomenon.

Bill - Any idea what change in conditions would cause this to start happening? Also, any idea of what water temp might cause it to start to decline?


Keep This Forum Viable, Read Pond Boss Magazine -
America's Journal of Pond Management
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,110
Likes: 476
B
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
B
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,110
Likes: 476
Aphanizomenon has several different species and each tends to have its own favorite water conditions to form blooms. As a group it can thrive in low nitrogen conditions. Amount of phosphorus tends to be the main stimulus when blooms form. It has been reported in low and high nutrient water. I think you should see significant reduction in density when water drops around or below 60F. Again, somewhat species specific regarding preferred temperature.

About the only way to determine the specie is look at it at high magnification and know what you are doing to recognize the specific characteristics to identify the species.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 09/17/19 08:31 PM.

aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine -
America's Journal of Pond Management
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
W
OP Offline
W
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
The "grass blade bloom" continued on into the end of September. By the time we were leaving the bloom was finally starting to fade out, but it was still there. At one time there was quite a bit of the "grass blades" in the water and I think it was making my DO sag significantly overnight. Could have also been the bloom combined with whatever die off is going on whenever my water temps hit the mid 50s.
For the first time ever my water is VERY VERY clear. At times I could see 6 to 8 feet deep. That has NEVER happened before. Interestingly, reading up on those grass blade blooms says they are associated with very clear water.

Caught some big Splake (Lake Trout x Brook Trout) while we were there. Biggest one was probably 16-18". They were stocked this time last year at 6-8". I think they would be bigger if they had not had to endure such a harsh Winter that killed most of the fish. Interesting side note: I stocked 400 Brook Trout and 100 Splake. The only fish caught in our lake this year were Splake and they seem to be the only fish that over Wintered in our lake. I think only a fraction of the 100 survived. Perhaps it has something to do with hybrid vigor? Here's one of the big Splake


The Brook Trout are so colorful this time of the year they look fake! This fish is a perfect example of why I am trying so hard to over Winter and grow trophy Brookies. Imagine this guy at 3 LBS!!


Not great fish pics because I was trying to be as gentle as possible with them and they were determined not to cooperate!

Pulled up some underwater vegetation when I pulled the boat anchor up. I assumed most of this stuff would have died off when we raised the water level so much, but it is still there, growing much deeper than I would have thought possible. I am sure this is a big part of my over Winter problems. Cool side note: Check out all the snails and scuds that came out of this one small bunch of plants. I never knew there were snails much less that many snails in the lake.


Last edited by wbuffetjr; 10/14/19 03:32 PM.

Keep This Forum Viable, Read Pond Boss Magazine -
America's Journal of Pond Management
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,110
Likes: 476
B
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
B
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,110
Likes: 476
Very nice beautiful fish - glad to see your diligent efforts are paying nice dividends. Your aeration methods have evidently been enough to keep your trout alive during those harsh, extreme winters. Hopefully those brookies will live long enough to make it to 3 pounds for you! Your submerged vegetation is very likely Chara but it could be Nitella depending on your water chemistry. Most of the snails are rams-horn snail, probably the common Helisoma anceps with the occasional pond snail called Physella (Physa). The Chara is allowing the scuds to thrive.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 10/14/19 12:55 PM.

aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine -
America's Journal of Pond Management
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 6,080
Likes: 1
Offline
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 6,080
Likes: 1
Beautiful fish! When I see all those snails it makes me wonder if pumpkinseed sunfish would survive in your pond. They would love to chow down on those guys.


[Linked Image]
Be Brave Enough to Suck at Something New!
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
W
OP Offline
W
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
Thanks Bill and Bill!!

I am hoping the Brook Trout will eat those snails as well. I really don't want to introduce any other predators except for maybe some trout that won't reproduce like Rainbows or other hybrids. I considered Walleye, but again I am too nervous they would reproduce.


Keep This Forum Viable, Read Pond Boss Magazine -
America's Journal of Pond Management
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 6,086
Likes: 93
S
Offline
S
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 6,086
Likes: 93
Beautiful fish. Congrats on the over winter success.


John

I subscribe to Pond Boss Magazine
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
W
OP Offline
W
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
Originally Posted By: snrub
Beautiful fish. Congrats on the over winter success.


Thanks Snrub! At this point I would call it partial Winter Success. We still had a significant, and probably majority, die off. Hoping to improve on that this Winter.

Last edited by wbuffetjr; 10/18/19 12:12 PM.

Keep This Forum Viable, Read Pond Boss Magazine -
America's Journal of Pond Management
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
W
OP Offline
W
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
"Winter is coming"

Well here we go again! Wish me luck!



Keep This Forum Viable, Read Pond Boss Magazine -
America's Journal of Pond Management
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 2,892
Likes: 144
C
Offline
C
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 2,892
Likes: 144
Give us a run down on the set up again this year?
You have only one windmill?
I thought you were putting a generator turbine on top of the windmill, is that present in the picture above?

What is the strategy?

Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
W
OP Offline
W
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 46
Canyon - I posted some long updates on the page before this one. I even posted a video of the new turbine. It's pretty cool.

I now have one aeration windmill that pumps air. I replaced my second air pumper with an actual turbine to generate electricity. Struggling with that process still and to date we have made 95 watts! LOL

If I had to name the strategy this Winter it would be "Operation Hulk Smash"! We are running the big 1HP pump as much as we can as long as we can! We are currently still running for ~9 hours per day right now. Going to dial it back to 4.5 hours here soon though. It is pushing 9 vertex discs. 6 of those discs are in ~18' of water. The other 3 are in ~12' of water. I redesigned the valve box and things are much better. Pressures are lower. Compressor temps are 50 degrees lower!!! Hoping all this leads to less condensation produced.

I redid the valve box with metal pipe, valves and fittings. At the very end of the line, the lowest spot, I drilled a tiny hole in the metal plug. The smallest drill bit I had. I put that plug in before I left. The idea is it will blow out/drip/pee condensation all day and drain the line when the compressor turns off. IF the little hole freezes up, it will hopefully thaw the next day after some amount of run time and the whole process will repeat. That's the plan anyway. I also insulated the lid to the valve box so now it is 4" of spray foam. Inside the box should stay warmer by some amount this Winter.

Hoping to get some DO data in the next week or two. Just waiting on my buddy to make it up there.

Last edited by wbuffetjr; 10/24/19 03:49 PM.

Keep This Forum Viable, Read Pond Boss Magazine -
America's Journal of Pond Management
Page 22 of 32 1 2 20 21 22 23 24 31 32

Link Copied to Clipboard
Today's Birthdays
Bob Lusk, GaryK, GrizzFan, PhotographerDave
Recent Posts
Happy Birthday Bob Lusk!!
by Rainman - 03/28/24 02:53 AM
Relative weight charts in Excel ? Calculations?
by Mark Dyer - 03/27/24 10:18 PM
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
Brooder Shiners and Fry, What to do??
by esshup - 03/27/24 08:47 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