Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Learning the hard way - Cecil style!

Cecil got me to thinking about a new thread, that could possibly be turned into a very random book that just needs a catchy title to reach the USA today best sellers list.

Pond and Fish Mistakes that we have learned the hard way and then share with others our experiences. Dont be ashamed to post, if you arent messing up, you arent learning either.

We will use Cecil to get things started:
- keep male fish away from female fish if you want an all female pond.

- fish can swim under blocking nets unless they are staked down to the bottom of the pond

- make sure your fish cage is completely sealed up before launching and stocking fish

A few of Nates follies: Many of mine are BPB (Before Pond Boss) Many of mine are also APB (After Pond Boss)

-Dont stock small fish into an established pond- BPB

-Dont stock 10,000 bluegill into a 2 acre pond even if a fish farm says that is ok if you feed and aerate- BPB

-Put a lid on your fish cage- APB

I got more, but got to run.

dont build a pond if ya aint got no water

Be absolutely certain of the full pool water line before fixing the deck height for your dock.

It must be 1000X easier to place rock piles for structure BEFORE the pond fills w/ water.

Double check to be sure that the Kubota really is in reverse when backing away from the water line (especially when you are on the dam).

Dave you know that's not as uncommon as you think. I assume you are referring to the folks that don't have the watershed to fill their pond and expect it to magically fill without one?

Guys and Gals I'm guardingly optimistic about the potential of unwanted reproduction. I handled the males quite a bit due to me measuring them, placing them in a cage, and them removing them again because I didn't trust the mesh size. Turns out I have lost about 20 percent of my males to fungus due to excessive handling. It's possible the male may have succumbed too. I did handle him even more as I was using him to ascertain if he could fit through the 3/4 inch mesh of the first cage I had doubts about. It's very likely he developed fungus. First time I've actually hoped a fish would get sick and die that I planted!

All the eggs I have collected so far don't seem to have been fertilized. If I can remove all the eggs this spring as soon as they appear, I may be able to catch him next winter and early spring when I can easily sex him. Perch are thank goodness an easy fish to catch.

Don't assume that because you use well water that you won't have any problems with clarity.

Don't let the fish guy stock gallons of fatheads without making sure there aren't unwanted hitchhikers.

If you use a liner make sure it is the right size for the project without needing seams.

Don't skimp on your overflow tube.

Stake down your rootballs. Wood floats.

Decide the smallest number of CC you would be happy stocking, then stock half that many.

Plan ahead where to place dirt removed during excavation - move it once, not twice.

Bite the bullet and take absolutely as much time off from work as possible to be at your pondsite during construction.

Do not underestimate the ability for unwanted fish to swim upstream and over your spillway into your pond from a downstream source.

The list could be endless. Here are a couple:

When buiding a pond first stockpile all the topsoil. Use it when the pond is complete to respead over the perimeter area to grow soil holding cover vegetation.

Don't use copper sulfate to kill any plants with roots.

Use plenty of stakes to hold down not only root balls but also logs and coarse brush. As the basin soaks & softens buoyant wood has lots of lifting power.

actually i am only referring to myself cecil. my pond keeps water all summer, but it gets pretty ugly by september. i really believe i will have to move thousands of fish this summer or risk a large kill. i'm blessed to have a friend like JHAP...who'll not only take them, but help me do it....right jeff?

i can pick on him because he's not home yet

concrete blocks are not good anchors for large christmas trees. Ocassionally I still think they will sink the tree, but they never do!@#$%

everybody around here wants to feed their fish fathead minnows! I try to explain - 10 lbs of fatheads equals 1 lb of growth and costs $60. 3 lbs of fish food equals 1 lb of growth and costs $1.65. That means it costs 36 times more to feed fish fathead minnows!

HeHe.....That is a good one!

If your pond gets heavy ice and snow cover, aerate or provide running water, my trout's first winter was their last. Also keep a sharp eye out for otters.

Are you sure you're not my dad? He's done ALL THREE OF THESE!

There is a very fine line between blessed and cursed when I am in the immediate vicinity. That being said, yep I'm eager to net and move some fish. Beats hunting Snipe anyway.

Always check that your fancy timer on your aeration really DOES turn the thing on at night... During the hot dog days of august.

Plan your overflow/spillway system for about five times the worst flood.

Don't try to seine a pond that hasn't been designed for seining. Unless it's just for fun...(Pics on separate thread in Sampling forum.)

Put your plug in your boat before launching into the water.

If lots of people are around, put a padlock on your feeders.

Dont rinse off a nice fish in your pond before you take the picture.

Dont try to add water to a 5 gallon bucket with the fish still in the bucket.

When cleaning a 5 gallon bucket full of Smallmouth Bass for a big fish fry, make sure you put their eggs back on their spawning beds were you caught them off of so they can be fertilized..........just kidding, gotcha Sunil.