Hello everyone. Long time no see! I've been MIA in the pond world for the last few months. Deer hunting, holidays, vacations and the other real life stuff kinda put pond management on the back burner.

So, back in early fall I turned off my surface aeration and went to 24/7 with the bottom diffuser. It's been a couple months now and the pond has remained turbid. I think some of it is due to BH stirring up the bottom. I had a big spawn of the suckers last year. Visibility is around 8". I've was feeding regularly until recently as I dont want to keep feeding BH vacuum cleaners, tho the BG and GSF were still feeding well.

A little surprise came yesterday when I was fishing a little and decided to pull my holding pen up and check on the few fish I had put in it back in the fall. When I got it up, there was a 4" LMB in the pen. I assume he got in thru the fencing when he was tiny and stayed until he was too big to get out. Anyway, looks like my 4 LMB were able to pull off a spawn after all. Also had a 6" river shiner in the pen, so they must have spawned too.

Even with a 24/7 aeration cycle running, I've still had a couple of blooms this fall that I think were BGA. Bright green and smelly if you got down wind. I'm hoping to reduce nutrient loads sufficiently to prevent any major blooms this spring. Time will tell I guess.

It's good to be back and I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and the start of a prosperous new year.


.10 surface acre pond, 10.5 foot deep. SW LA. The epitome of a mutt pond. BG, LMB, GSF, RES, BH, Warmouth, Longear Sunfish, Gambusia,Mud Minnows, Crappie, and now shiners!!...I subscribe!!