Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss vandals

I'm just going low budget pop rivets and sealant. I have this Sikaflex 295 UV stuff that is amazing. Luckily none of the stacked hull welds were fractured. It is not a long term last forever fix, but can be rerepaired at a later date. I think it is mostly bait at this juncture. So tough guy vandals say hey we trashed that, we will get it better this time. Then Dave gets them. If not, it should at least float and catch gsf.

That 295 is really, really good stuff. It's really easy to use the same type of rivets that were used in the orig. construction. All you need is an air compressor, an air chisel and a concave tip that matches the head of the rivet. A piece of steel, 3/4"x2"x6" will be held against the stem end of the rivet. It takes about 2 seconds to install one once the hole is drilled. The stem swells and fills any gaps in the hole, making it water tight without sealant.

I'll get a parts list and post it.

Too late, I'm done. I'm painting and sealing. This should do the trick. And if it does not provoke the vandals to try again then it will float around for years. It leaked before I fixed it, I'll try to fix all of the leaks and make it back to a little pond boat. After seeing Dave's place I am convinced this was no random drive by act. This was a walk in by people who had a grudge and knew what was there. They may have even watched Dave drive off. They were bold, as that had to have made a lot of noise and echoed all through that canyon. But it was a surprise attack. That element is long gone and the target will be in plain sight taunting them.

Roger. I hope that Dave catches the unmentionables that did it and hangs them by their thumbs with those concrete pieces tied to their ankles.

I hope to at least see their mug shots posted here!

I agree completely. I said the same thing to Dave. Someone was watching and knew he was gone. Pushing the boat over the spill way and down into the ravine would make one heck of a racket, let alone hitting the boat with concrete chunks.

I'll bet JHAP would volunteer to be the first one to try out the repaired jon boat. We want photo's but please, fully clothed only.

Chicken.

with enemies like i have, who needs friends?

or is it w/ friends like i have, who needs enemies?

i seriously have no clue who has it out for me or why unless some really young kids from 10 years ago held a grudge after i kicked them out. they said their dad said it was ok to go down that pond. i told them and later their dad that it was private property and not ok to just go down there. it was our front yard, and i dont go around hanging out in other people's front yards. at that time i gave them my phone number and said call me if yer kids want to visit the pond, but i never got a phone call. those kids are teenagers now.

pond frog has been in touch, we may have her back saturday full of attitude and ready to float, i'll try and remember to take a pic or two.

From having written one too many police reports relating to kids with nothing better to do with their time than to destroy other people's property, it honestly wouldn't shock me if it was a completely random act. 16-22 year olds have no respect for property. Perhaps because they are too young to understand just how expensive things are. Mommmy and Daddy have always bought them everything they wanted. I surely hope they are caught, but if the court system in CA is anything like it is where I work, don't expect them to received much punishment...

Sometimes people don't need a reason. I posted here before, a couple of years ago, a guy would drive by yelling my name with the f bomb you in front of it. He did it several times and for the life of me I had no idea who it was and what I could have done to make someone so mad.

Dave's pond cannot be randomly accessed. First of all, it can't even be seen, from anywhere, unless you are there. It cannot be seen from any road either. Also, it is at a complete dead end, down gravel, one lane. Posted signs all along. And to accidentally come upon it walking in would be just as low odds. The terrain is real rough, lot of hills and scrub. Plus again, no roads near it.

Good news is mission complete. Got the boat back, maybe a little better in some ways than before. I was able to fish DIED's pond and caught over 30 gsf and over 10 bg. A bit early yet. But still had a blast. Even got to share a cold St. Pauli with Dave's extended family. Missed out on a great bbq I was invited for, but long day yesterday and even longer today on reskeds to get the boat back in a committed time frame bunched up a lot of jobs.

Have some nice photos, I'll send them along to DIED and hopefully he can post them. Burning bad willows and material removed from a spillway channel all day. It's do it now or don't get it done.

Burning brush when it's drier in a month wouldn't be a good idea!

If his place is that hard to get to, I'm betting on somebody very local.

I agree with Pond Frogs assessment. To get to Dave's place you have to want to get there. IMHO it would be very difficult to stumble upon. You can't see Dave's pond until you are practically right on top of it.

Glad to hear you had a good time Pond Frog. I can't wait to see the photos and I'm looking forward to meeting you.

I'm not saying DIED can't afford it but I would be willing to contribute a little, as might some others here to set up some kind of camera system? Something that can be monitored from his computer? Dwight any ideas? Dave it's not charity! I'd love to see these losers get caught and know others here would take satisfaction in it.

Anyone?

I'm in for $20.00? Anyone else?

Cecil,

The issue at Dave's place is that there are few places to locate a camera near the pond, or his gate, that would not be in plain view of any potential intruder. Hence the camera would likely get stolen. DIED and I have been talking game cameras, Greg Grimes has some at very reasonable prices, it's placement at Dave's place that is going to be tricky, close enough to trigger the camera yet concealed enough that they wouldn't be obvious to an intruder.

Dave has a fairly good idea as to who is the culprit. Unfortunately there is no proof to provide law enforcement. Who ever did this had to either:

(a)launch dave's boat into the pond (b) paddle the boat the length of his pond to the spillway (c) get out of the boat in the deep end of the pond and push it over the spill way (d) go up to the dam and lift and hurl the concrete chunks at the boat

OR

(a)carry the boat up to the road (b)walk the boat to the dam (c) throw the boat off the dam (d) lift and hurl the concrete chunks at the boat

This took some serious effort on someone's part.

So you can't set something up concealed off the road in say a stump or something that gets tripped when a beam is broken by a car coming down the road? Or maybe even a pressure sensor in the road that activates a silent alarm in the house?

Doesn't Dave have something across his road to keep vehicles out like a serious chain and lock and key? I wouldn't think someone just walked in do you?

On another thought when my dad was in remote camps in Vietnam he came up with a really fine trip wire that when broken would sound off an alarm. The wire was so fine you could break it without even knowing it. That was back in the sixties, so there's got to be something comparable now.

I think some neighbor (or more to the point teenage children thereof) walked onto his property and performed the vandalism.

Dave is better equipped to discuss his property security that I. Although I've been to Dave's place numerous times I'm usually so glad to see DIED and DWIED that I don't pay much attention to my surroundings.

On thing is for certain though, you have to know DIED's pond exists or you would never find it. Dave's place is at the end of a road that doesn't lead anywhere else. There are multiple no trespassing signs that you pass along the way. You don't see the pond until you are practically right on top of it. IMHO the people that did this knew the pond and more to the point knew that DIED and DWIED had left for the day - sadly to go to a winery and then check up on my place - a day that should have been nothing but fun.

I'm definitely in. I'm all for ERADICATING green sunfish, but the thought of their lair being vandalized is enraging.

While we're on the topic, I'd also pitch in for a case or two of cold ones for Pond Frog for being such an excellent citizen!

What's your flavor, PF?

I need a mailing address Jeff. I can now kill two birds with one stone. A donation to the website and something to help set up whatever security is needed. I wish I was closer. I'd love to set up a stakeout!

I once worked at a grocery store that had such a shoplifting problem they hired an retired military guy to catch the shoplifters. Guess what? There was a kid or two, but there was an old grandma that was robbing the store blind! She wasn't poor either!

We just shoot all the time. Keeps the vandals to burning down their own garages

well here's a couple pics of the new and improved "jeanie"





and finally the pond frog himself:


dig the barney purple?

i am fairly sure it was a walk-in from somwhere up the canyon from me. i have some good places to stage game cameras and thats all that needs said on that.

i really appreciate everyone's input.

cecil, i wish you lived closer too, we could have a steakout and then have a stakeout....oh, and dont send me any money, and dont get anyone else sending money either, as much as i appreciate the sentiment, i want to catch them too...i'll be exploring the surveillance options before jeanie is stored back by the pond..

i like the idea of having it tied to the computer but dont know about such things. if it needs line of sight, that'l be tough.

i had a hard time getting rid of money yesterday...thanks again pond frog, here's to you and hopefully some fun times ahead. hope you didnt work too hard today pondfrog, hillside manual hauling and burning is a young man's realm so as my feet, knees, legs, back, and arms tell me today.

yolk, pondfrog loved the st. pauli, but you should have seen his eyes light up when DWIED came out w/ a nice glass of foothill merlot.

jhap, we need to talk soon if'n yer thinkin of putting more RES in yer pond. pondfrog can help us, lets chat at yer convenience.

"dig the barney purple?"

I think it is closer to Jeanie Pink! Is that Mary-Ann green on the inside? Ginger was over rated in my opinion, besides, If you put in too much sparkle a large fish just might think of lunch.

Glad to see everything is going OK.

died:

Whatever game camera you get, they should make a bear proof steel enclosure for it, and those usually have a place where you can run a Python MasterLock/Cable thru it and lock it to the tree, locking the bear proof steel case closed.

If you have cell service, there is a camera that uses that technology to send pictures and movies to your computer.

These guys have very good unbiased reviews of a bunch of game cams, and they make theft proof boxes for most all cameras. There is a bit of information to go thru, depending on how much reading you want to do. They have a forum somewhat like this one as well. I believe the guy that runs it works for the DNR in Georgia or down that ways.

Yes, I probably would have passed on the St. Pauli had I known there was Merlot available. But had to tip at least one with DIED and family. Can't just fish and run. The reason for the Barney purple was more functional than for goofing off. I get a quart at Home Depot oops markdown for a $1. I only really wanted to paint the hull penetration rivets, my new ones and the old ones and look for high vis Barney Purple on the hull. Sure enough, it had leaks from you really did not expect them, most on the back bench that was barely hit. I offered to paint over it same green or close but DIED and DIEDW loved it so...Not going to last anyway, just like green. If you don't go through the proper steps with aluminum it just flakes fast. Did not want to go to extreme just in case it is rewrecked. It even had a hole in the bow away from the rivets.

I got some free advertisement out of it, and since we are in the middle of wine country I might start a wine and gsf tour. I think if you are buzzed enough those gsf might be fun. I have to try again when water warms and bigger fish are hitting. And you sure can tell those fish are pellet trained. Can't wait to meet Jeff and meet some new Pond Boss local brothers. So far I am one for one on great guys.