Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations June 10, '16 Electroshocking Report

Last Friday, I had Dave "Beasley Bopper" Beasley of Solitude Lake Management electroshock my pond in Somerset, PA.

Myself, my wife, my brother, and his wife are the owners, and I have always been the one to manage the pond. We are absentee land owners, and the pond is about 52 miles, or about (1) hour from where we live. There is no electricity or living structures on the land.

I haven't been to the pond for close to (2) years.

With the arrival of kids, and then their collective activities, we just have not had time to get up there, as lame as that is.

Thankfully, I've got a 1/4 acre pond in my neighborhood, and that has provided the 'ponding' that we all deeply need.

In essence, I have neglected my main pond for close to (2)years.

This is a picture of Dave's boat; the 'chandeliers' are there, but the booms are disassembled:


This is the section of the pond that we were able to shock. This area ranges from 1' to 5-6'. A lot of sedimentation has occurred. We could not get to the other side off in the distance. That side would be 2' to 10' plus:


This is one of several large carp that we shocked. We also shocked a grass carp, but couldn't net him:


Here's a decent LMB for a northern pond. He's between 4 & 5 lbs.:


Here's a smallie probably a hair over a pound:


Here's one of many, many nasty white suckers that got shocked up:


This smallie was beat up bad, and was blind in one eye:


This smallie was of a decent size, maybe 2 lbs, but note the fresh hook in his/her mouth:


This is another smallie that was maybe a bit over 2 lbs.:


These are a mess of yellow perch. We brought up a lot of them:


This is the Death Pile where we deposited bullheads and white suckers on the shore; my foot is a hair over 12":



Overall, the process was very interesting.

Visibility was less than 18", and many times fish would go deeper when shocked, and thus I could not net them.

We shocked up many more LMB, but nothing worth documenting. We also brought up (2) crappie, and saw a lone northern pike (although I know that NP are reproducing in the pond).

I'm not surprised by the results as I have not been actively managing, nor even present, at my pond for close to two years. And, others are fishing it sans permission.

While the pond has no electricity, and any aerator system would sprout legs and run within days of installation, my pond is on the decline due to organic matter and silt.

Overall, an excellent experience, and good time, with our friend, Dave Beasley!!

Any idea what is causing the turbidity? Was there some fresh, heavy rains? Your clarity was always impressive when I've visited!

I'd be happy to visit a while, borrow the black rifle, and if needed, get gratis representation by said black rifle's owner....Maybe catmandoo could make a tasty poached poacher too...?

Yes, there were heavy rains earlier in the week.

What prompted you to want the survey since you've been so hands-off? What did you learn beside some fun pictures of fish..? What will change because of it?

I needed Beasley to bring me some Redear Sunfish for my neighborhood pond, and always wanted to shock my main pond.

I haven't really processed all of the information especially because there was a lot of fish that I couldn't see after they were shocked, so I don't want to draw too many conclusions.

I should also add that I had Beasley transport several fish to my neighborhood pond (the LMB, three smallies, 30-40 YP, and a single crappie).

I just couldn't leave these fish in the pond only to be 'harassed' by trespassers/scumbags.

Since I am newer to the forum, was your pond built from scratch? I am just wondering how the condition of it came to be from what starting point?

No, it was an existing pond for probably 30-50 years before we bought it back in '98.

Ok that explains the variety of fish. How about the silt problems you are seeing? Was it dredged out during your ownership and what brings in the silt? How much silt has been added over your time frame?

The pond is not typical in that it gets water via attachment to a large creek/small river. During high water events, silt comes in via the creek.

We've never dredged it, and that or aeration would be part of a plan to reinvigorate the pond, if we chose to do so.

pretty place Sunil....love all the trees...what kind of depths do you have?

Silt comes from a few things. One main thing is erosion from hard rain into your pond. As you can see his water is very muddy looking and he said it just rained hard their so he is getting a lot of sand and dirt from around his pond into his pond... Combine that with all those trees around his pond... He has a lot of organic muck in there along with that silt.... Look at the first picture and think about all the leaves and pine needles that fall into his pond every fall. Over time all that builds up. Trust me I know!! lol.....

Thanks for the pics Sunil looks like you could have quite a place there if you had the time!!

RC

Zep, the depths are listed up above the second pic.

RC, the place is still very nice, but the signs of lack of upkeep are clear, to me at least.

Nice work Sunil and Dave!!

Will Dave be issuing a report? If so that should help filter out some details. The water is very productive guys based on prior fish collected. Some very nice LMB and SMB went into the BASS Masters Classic tank some years back.

No, I opted to not have a report.

Oh yeah never meant it like it was trash... lol Just I know you and if you had the time how much better it would be I'm sure!

RC

My pond is 92 miles away so I know the feeling for sure! At least now my parents are there to help with upkeep!

Sunil,

I find that any work out at the farm yields good results most of the time. Cleaning out some fish should help. I was once of the mindset that I needed a 100% solution, NOW I am looking for an 85-94% solution, its all I have time for until I retire.

Changing the bar was the only way to enjoy the place some of the time.

Word, Mabro! Word!

This is the LMB that is shown above, being held by Dave Beasley. He was shocked out of my main pond in Somerset, PA., and brought to my neighborhood pond in Murrysville, PA. on June 10, '16:



I believe this is the same LMB caught 26 days later, on a shiner, out of the neighborhood pond:



Think he's been eating???!!!!!

You sure that is the same LMB?

Can't be 100% sure, but I think so.

This is really the first set of days anyone has fished the pond with shiners.