What was the time period for that amount of growth? Sure looks like a healthy LMB to me coming out of winter. Time to let the spring feeding frenzy begin!
It was caught 8/16/24 so the growth is not that impressive in my opinion. The first time it was caught it was 125% RW. All though, with the 3 ponds I've kept up with RW for LMB I see a trend that the larger the LMB get there tends to be in increase in the numbers with lower RW. Hopefully one of the experts can tell me if that's just results from the ponds I'm keeping up with or is common.
I'm pretty sure I have a hole in the food chain.
All baitfish trapped and caught are at least 4 inches and there is an abundance of 4-7 inch GSF and 8+ inch YBH. I'm thinning them out by seining, trapping and fishing.
I have almost Zero dense habitat to support small fish but I'm working on that. I will have it in before the BG spawn.
I have an abundance of HBG and GSF but hardly any pure BG.
Stocking 200 BG 4-6" and 200 RES 4-6" on 3/15/25 (lots of snails present) 30-40# of Mozambique Tilapia in May or as soon as available. I have lots of FA growing below the surface. I treated Saturday with Cutrine Plus granules but have not seen any results yet. Not sure how long it takes to work. I also have liquid to use once these 60MPH winds subside. Mr. Lusk also says TP are fantastic for intermediate BG growth.
When I use Cutrine Plus, I see results within 6 hours or so. I found that applying it before noon works better than applying it in the afternoon or evening. Cutrine Plus granules in water greater than 24" deep and liquid in water less than 24" deep or floating FA. Read the label for correct application rates. If the rate isn't high enough, then you won't see any results. The FA will start to turn white when it's working.
Unfortunately, the stand pipe has structurally failed. Somehow, the 4' steel column has probably creased due to corrosion and the weight of the rebar cage and partition plate caused the whole structure to essentially collapse.
It's going to require a full draining and replacement of the stand pipe.
I usually enjoy reading the "What Did You Do ..." forum to see the good news stories at everyone's ponds.
I guess I should expect a few gray clouds every now and then.
Sorry about that bad news, Sunil.
Good luck on your fish preservation and transfer project. Do you need to start a new thread on that topic? I bet some of our old-timers have worked on a similar project in the past - and might have some good advice, or what NOT to do.
When I use Cutrine Plus, I see results within 6 hours or so. I found that applying it before noon works better than applying it in the afternoon or evening. Cutrine Plus granules in water greater than 24" deep and liquid in water less than 24" deep or floating FA. Read the label for correct application rates. If the rate isn't high enough, then you won't see any results. The FA will start to turn white when it's working.
Thanks esshup, most of the water was 24" or less, I have the liquid to apply and plan to do that as soon as these winds calm down lol Also considering dye but with the water temps rising I'm a little nervous it may disrupt an early bloom.
2 Acre, Completed July 2022, CC,BG, Sept. 2022, LMB June 2023, GSF, YBH invasion in 2022. BG, CNBG, RES, 2025, TP seasonal.
Unfortunately, the stand pipe has structurally failed. Somehow, the 4' steel column has probably creased due to corrosion and the weight of the rebar cage and partition plate caused the whole structure to essentially collapse.
It's going to require a full draining and replacement of the stand pipe.
I usually enjoy reading the "What Did You Do ..." forum to see the good news stories at everyone's ponds.
I guess I should expect a few gray clouds every now and then.
Sorry about that bad news, Sunil.
Good luck on your fish preservation and transfer project. Do you need to start a new thread on that topic? I bet some of our old-timers have worked on a similar project in the past - and might have some good advice, or what NOT to do.
Rod, thanks. Yeah, it sucks but it was also inevitable. I would start a thread for it, but don't use any picture hosting websites anymore, so the thread would be kind of lack luster. I'm already in contact with Drew Hay who can install the new stand pipe, and Scott who may help transfer some of these fish to my main pond.
Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:" "She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."
Sunil - It will interesting and informative to see what the fish standing crop is in the neighborhood pond when the pond is drained. Be aware the results may surprise you.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 03/05/2507:17 PM.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
Rod, thanks. Yeah, it sucks but it was also inevitable. I would start a thread for it, but don't use any picture hosting websites anymore, so the thread would be kind of lack luster. I'm already in contact with Drew Hay who can install the new stand pipe, and Scott who may help transfer some of these fish to my main pond.
No need for a hosting service. I post pics, less than 2mg, on the site with no hosting service. You can attach or attach and embed if you like the larger pics in the body of the message.
1.5acre LMB, YP, BG, RES, GSH, Seasonal Tilapia I subscribe to Pond Boss Magazine
Rod, thanks. Yeah, it sucks but it was also inevitable. I would start a thread for it, but don't use any picture hosting websites anymore, so the thread would be kind of lack luster. I'm already in contact with Drew Hay who can install the new stand pipe, and Scott who may help transfer some of these fish to my main pond.
No need for a hosting service. I post pics, less than 2mg, on the site with no hosting service. You can attach or attach and embed if you like the larger pics in the body of the message.
For easy resizing I send my pics to a friend on facebook - facebook automatically resizes them and then I post them.
After hearing the exciting news about my neighbor's pond, I went to our neighborhood pond yesterday evening.
Unfortunately, the stand pipe has structurally failed. Somehow, the 4' steel column has probably creased due to corrosion and the weight of the rebar cage and partition plate caused the whole structure to essentially collapse.
It's going to require a full draining and replacement of the stand pipe.
I'm going to have to figure out what to do with the existing fish. I may try and get a fish hauler and take as many as I can catch/net up to my main pond about an hour away, but it's going to suck.
It is heartbreaking when they blow, my dam blew last year march 12, it wasnt as established but I did have several thousand sunfish and some trout in it, magically most of them didnt get washed away, they just swam against the massive 10 foot drop in water level and stayed in puddles here and there. I went around for days and gathered them up, put several opportunistic mink to sleep with my freedom seeder and managed to save many.
No need for a hosting service. I post pics, less than 2mg, on the site with no hosting service. You can attach or attach and embed if you like the larger pics in the body of the message.
You can also use the built in photo app on a windows computer to resize them.
Graphic below. Like Boon said you can add them in the body as well. Just click use full editor editor, in the bottom left there is a link for attachment manager, click select a file to attach then the picture you want to attach. This will attach them in the bottom of your post, not in the post itself.
If you want to embed them in the post, hover over the picture in the bottom left of the attachment manager window and click it, this will add a hyperlink in your post to the picture. Make sure you don't type inside the text it creates or it will "break" your link.
My dam washed out a couple of days after they started making it, they did not have an emergency spillway or drain pipe in yet.
Good luck with the construction project and getting the fish moved.
2 Acre, Completed July 2022, CC,BG, Sept. 2022, LMB June 2023, GSF, YBH invasion in 2022. BG, CNBG, RES, 2025, TP seasonal.
Sorry about the dam break, even if it is well in the past.
That is a great picture to show people new to the forum that are planning a dam, on exactly what happens when the water starts running over the top of the dam!
Thanks Rod, fortunately that was before fish were stocked. The construction company got a first rate education on how to rebuild the dam. We added a 19" drain pipe and they built a wide secondary spillway with a very gradual incline.
However, that's where the GSF and YBH were naturally stocked. This was before discovering Pond Boss, (Yep, I was someone who thought you just need to dig a hole, fill it with water and then add fish). They ate my initial stocking of BG.
Also fortunately for me that the pond didn't cost me anything but dirt, ( And some dumb tax) they needed dirt, I needed a pond
Working hard on corrective actions.
Thanks to everyone for all the advice!!
2 Acre, Completed July 2022, CC,BG, Sept. 2022, LMB June 2023, GSF, YBH invasion in 2022. BG, CNBG, RES, 2025, TP seasonal.
Temperature was in the upper 40's. Water Temp was 52, cloudy, light wind so I decided to test the waters.
Caught 6 total.
HBG are healthy other than a few parasites I noticed on one. I knew I had snails but this it the first fish I've caught with Parasites. I'm stocking 200 4-6" RES next week, I have some RES but evidently not enough.
Was not targeting LMB but caught the second one of the year. Also the second one tagged. First caught 9/2/24 362MM, 1.63#, Current measurement, 400 MM and 2.22#
2 Acre, Completed July 2022, CC,BG, Sept. 2022, LMB June 2023, GSF, YBH invasion in 2022. BG, CNBG, RES, 2025, TP seasonal.
I've fished several local ponds and it's common to catch fish with the yellow grubs in their fins.
From what I've read, the best way to combat them is with RES. Eliminate the source (I think it's snails, but also have certain species of birds that frequent the pond and are also known as a common source.)
Any advise is appreciated.
2 Acre, Completed July 2022, CC,BG, Sept. 2022, LMB June 2023, GSF, YBH invasion in 2022. BG, CNBG, RES, 2025, TP seasonal.
I think you are right Learnin. Birds to snails to fish. The RES interrupt the cycle. It's not full proof but should slow them down. Nice looking fish on the boards for sure.
1.5acre LMB, YP, BG, RES, GSH, Seasonal Tilapia I subscribe to Pond Boss Magazine
Great LMB with good growth through fall and over winter (add 36% to its weight). When I use a Tulsa climate and plug in that fish's weight for 9/2/24 ... I get an estimated weight on 3/8/25 of 2.17 lbs. It's on track to be around 3.5 lbs on 9/2/25 ... forage willing.
It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so - Will Rogers
I don't know if the RES significantly slow their feeding in the winter so the grubs make a re-appearance then, or if you still need to add more RES to your fishery?
Keep observing and reporting your catches this spring, and we will see what happens.
I've helped the aerator out a bit by using a Honda 2hp water pump to open up the lake a bit...the water just started to get a bit of a smell to it a it's bubbling off. Still seeing rbt on camera but pretty tight to the surface of the ice. Ice is still 36 inches but breaking down with this warm wx. Any guesses on how long it'll take to go from 36-40 inches of ice to none at all?
Looks like you are going to be above freezing for the next couple of weeks.
That's a lot of ice to melt, do you get much melting runoff to assist with melting it?
Not a whole lot of run off yet, I'll be routing some small creeks and springs into it this summer. I'm hoping for rain, wind , and warm air soon. Seems like it is coming...fingers crossed.
![[Linked Image from lh6.ggpht.com]](http://lh6.ggpht.com/_6_-SgakQ9co/S3Nx1jGAJWI/AAAAAAAABKU/DJIy4ZnF1t0/s800/I_subscribe.jpg)
![[Linked Image]](https://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=20855&filename=Photo-Editor.JPG)
This was before discovering Pond Boss, (Yep, I was someone who thought you just need to dig a hole, fill it with water and then add fish). They ate my initial stocking of BG.
![[Linked Image]](https://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=20864&filename=20250308-HBG-P.JPG)
![[Linked Image]](https://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=20865&filename=20250308-HBG.JPG)
![[Linked Image]](https://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=20863&filename=20250308-Tag003-LR.JPG)
![[Linked Image from i.pinimg.com]](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ed/b5/e7/edb5e7f935843b996cf52be593c9ebd2--smoothie-smooth-collie.jpg)
