Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Why Structure?

These are some underwater videos near the Xs on Bremer Pond. They show how fish relate to structure. I may have posted one or two of these before, but they are worth a review.

Notice that some fish are directly in the structure while others are just in the vicinity.

Nice! Thanks for posting!

Trade you ponds. Man that is cool.

I ice fish close to those X features without being so close that I get sheared off or stuck with 4lb line. Dwight has also added a tubal structure unit near the X's since the video was made. Fish like that too. Since the ice has been slow, we are fishing around the perimeter of the X's and tubal unit. I am marking the hottest spots on my GPS for future use.

Almost all life relates to structure and edges.

Without structure, you might as well as fish in a large aqaurium.

Dwight, with the videos you've been taking have you seen any of your recently stocked fish?

Thanks Dwight !! A lot there in addition to the structure. Notice how much more active the YP (fins up) were than the BG. Difference between cool water fish and warmwater fish. Compare how active the BG are to the summer vids.

The more you watch them the more you will see. Did you notice Darlene sitting on the bottom, right in a couple of the clips? She likes to be close to her food supply!

Speaking of Darlene, what do you think she weighs now?

I haven't caught Darlene for a couple years now. I see them in the shallows in the spring but they are smart and ignore lure presentations completely. After all, they are "once in a lifetime fish" and are supposed to be hard to catch.

The last Darlene I caught was a little over 8 pounds and in the middle of the summer of 2009. They could be 10 by now.

Even if I never catch her at 10 pounds, I am happy knowing they have lived here.

I saw several nicely conditioned LMB swim around those active YP and I saw a dark ominous shadow lurking around the cross X structure. I did not get a good look at her. At first I thought it might be a big NP.

what is NP

Northern Pike.

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92442#Post92442

OH, Gotcha, I am way to warm for those, Wish I could have them the heat in florida does limit my selection. I have however sicovered a few Euryhaline coastal fish that do well in fresh water ponds to edd to my veriety snook, tarpon, southern flounder, mango snaper speckled seatrout and red drum (redFish). just started adding some to the pond. They do thrive but can not repoduce in the fresh water.

Now THAT will be an interesting pond!

Bobby, please tell us more about your fishery and what function these fish provide [predator, forage, etc.] We are very interested - I suggest making a new post so we don't hijack here!

Are those railroad ties in that structure? If so, doesn't the creosote affect water quality? I stumbled across part of an old brige buried in my pond site with several large rr ties. I have them piled up waiting to burn, but maybe I should consider putting them in the pond for structure?

They are cedar landscape timbers 6" x 8" left over from a project.

I don't think a few weathered railroad ties would be a problem.

If you want to see what the Xs looked like before they went under water they are in the Ewest Structure Thread