Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Fertilization/culling questions

With the vegetation in there, that is what's causing the clear water. That is using the nutrients to keep the phytoplankton from growing. I'd leave all the bluegill in there, yank out at least 25# of LMB and up to 30# of LMB this year. Every one that is under 90% WR. I think 90% WR is a good number to go with, the 5% to bring it down to 85% won't realistically change the population that much, AND with the bass crowded pond, taking out a few too many really won't hurt in the long run.

Without taking a water test for alkalinity and P during late December (when the plants aren't growing and are decomposed, releasing the nutrients into the pond and not tying them up in plant life), you don't know if you should fertilize or not. IF you fertilize and it's not needed, the plant life in there will explode. I'd throw dye in there in Jan/Feb to limit sunlight penetration - a mixture of blue and black so you don't get the "tidy bowl" blue look.

FWIW, I can have curly leaf pondweed growing in a pond and have 5'-6' visibility. Once that dies back in July, visibility goes to 18"-24" without me adding any fertilizer.