Well, I was last on the pond this past weekend and everything looked fine on the lil 1.5 acre place. I haven't fertilized or anything as the pond has naturally had a bloom going. I know fish kills due to D.O. absence usually occurs in summer or fall. But this appears to be just that.
I was unable to visit the pond until this morning and discovered all the large bass and sunfish were dead lining all of the bank. It has been hot this past week, but not much overcast clouds. The wind is ALWAYS blowing on the pond. The water has gone from a bloom of green to a milky light grey. It appears that the bloom might have died, but if I didn't know better I'd say something was added to the water but that would take a lot. We've been in a slight drought for the past few weeks, and received rain yesterday, and the fish appear to have been dead or dying for at least a day or two. I've seen both large and small (1.5") dead near the shore and all of the surviving fish are gulping for air at the surface. With the pond so out of balance after this, I'm wondering if I need to drain it and start over. I only stocked in 2003
If some small bass were able to spawn this spring I guess I could consider this year one of my stocking, but I really don't know what I've got or will have left.
It was tough seeing all those 4+ lb bass and large coppernose bluegill lining the shores belly up. This appears to have happened so fast, I'm not sure what I could have done to prevent it. I've not had any of these type problems since its been stocked, as the winds keep the water turned over in it constantly. I was driving around with my boat with the trolling motor chopping but heck most of them bigger ones are already dead, I'm figuring its not worth it. I guess its back to the drawing board.
I'm near some farm land and I'm wondering if anything could have affected the pond in such a way, but since I've not had problems in the past I just am unsure.
Alo wondering if anyone else saw anything like this or saw odd things with their ponds/bloom etc this week here in Mississippi.
