Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations First post....Am I babbling????? Nah...Just excited!!!!

Pellet trained SMB available from Dan Laggis only in the fall. He also has pellet trained largemouth bass.

Welcome to PB Chuck!! As you can see, the other members have certainly provided you with some good suggestions/advice. I noticed Bill's comment #5 but it hasn't received much attention. With an existing connection between both ponds, I think you will get a mixing of fish. This HAS taken place in my two ponds.

I'm back after a couple days of digesting all the fine information everyone has provided to me.

I've mapped out a "plan." I forsee this to be implemented over the next 1-2 years. This is definitely open for discussion and comments will be greatly appreciated.

Monday 3/13/06 - Call Pond Boss and start a subscription!!

Spring '06

- Finish grade pond shoreline. Can't wait to get some tractor seat time!!
- Plant emergent native plants for soil stabilization - both ponds. Carex sedges, Scirpus bulrushes. Iris, arrowhead, monkey flower etc. Various cultivars to see what grows best at the site. Do what I can to fight off a monoculture!!!
- Install fish barrier in swale. Swale is 3-4ft wide and can get 2ft deep seasonally. Does dry out. Some type of screen/hardware cloth or???. Window screen would probably impede flow but would anything with larger opening work?. How large screen opening would still minimize escape???. I know it WILL happen but at least I hope to delay it's effects. Some type of frame so the screen can be removed for???
- Stock fathead minnows and regular BG in large pond. How many and what size would be a good starting point??? Any other hatchery suggestions beside Laggis/Imlay City for regular bluegill? From the MI Dept of Ag site, I've also come up with Ralph Kandt in Ray, Perch Research Int'l in Mt. Clemens(Standish)
- Stock fathead minnows ONLY in small pond. Leaving my options open for later.
- Install existing aerators within specified depths i.e. 15-18'. Adjust based on pressure guage.

Summer '06

- Monitor ponds - DO/temperature. Learn how THIS environment functions. See if the deeper water moves at all with diffuser placement in the shallower but close proximity to the drop off. Besides a boat, Scuba diving is a tool available to adjust diffuser placement and observe plant growth. Will need a new wetsuit though!!!
- Swim and enjoy adult beverages.
- Be a good listener and continue to educate myself.

Fall/Winter 06'-'07

- Stock LMB in big pond IF and only IF plantings are doing what they are supposed to. Turbidity will be a problem this year until some stabilization takes place. Ponds settled nicely after filling but the recent winds/heavy rains have stirred them up. Whether I stock in the fall of '06 or spring of '07, suggested size and quantity of LMB???
- More aquaculture educating - including learing how to sex fish
- Hopefully do some ice skating!!

Spring '07

- Stock LMB in big pond if not done previously.
- Stock YP and male BG in small pond IF and only IF confidence in sexing and overall management skills is such that I'm ready for this next step. If not, I'll use the small pond for growing trophy minnows for the big pond...LOL.
- Ponder a "trophy" BG pond instead of the above for the small pond.

Summer/Fall '07

- Upgrade aerators if necessary
- Get ready for population management.
- Maybe try the RT for the Fall/Winter/Spring '07-'08

Basically I think I would like to keep the BIG pond as the LMB pond and the SMALL pond as the forage/BG/YP/RT "bonus" pond. Some combination to be determined.

If all else fails, is there a market for "trophy" minnows????? :-)

I appreciate all the previous input and extending this thread just a little more....then I'll move to specific forums as I get into this further and my initial welcome is worn out...............

Fingerling Chuck

P.S. Bill - I will contact you re: YP info

Chuck :

Great job. I have not seen a more through approach posted here. A couple of thoughts.

The more you learn here by joining in the better you can tweak your plan to meet your goals. Also if your goals change you will be able to make the changes armed with info gained here. You can not get, at any price ,better norhtern pond advice than you have/will get from the others above.

Check into rigid plastic netting for a barrier. It can be cut to shape. You could add a footing that it would slide into and attach it to a couple alum. poles in the swale. Is the water high in spring or winter? If winter then ice becomes a question.

Be careful about adult beverages. To many and swimming do not go well together not to mention operating equipment or guns .

At the start get soil samples so you will have a baseline on your dirt to work with. They are cheap 10-20 $.

You should have a great time with your ponds and remember it is about the fun and the journey.

1.) Personally, and this is just my opinion, putting the emergents in is a waste of money (if you are buying them) and time. Why? Waterfowl will bring them in for free. I have four or five different kinds of emergents, (two types of rushes) and they all came in by the birds. If you get emergents in you don't want, just selectivly eliminate them with a herbicide. I will be selectively removing the larger rush in my pond, and keeping the smaller species. The larger one is as evasive as my the cattails. It tends to add a lot of organic matter when it dies off in the fall and is making may shoreline shallower and shallower just like the cattails do.

My idea of getting erosion control is to seed the banks heavily with grass seed (just scatter it on the surface), and then stake down burlap over it to stop erosion AND keep the birds from eating all your seed. (Birds can rapidly eat your grass seed!) The burlap also holds the seed in place under the burlap. There is enough light under the burlap to allow the seeds to germinate, the burlap protects the seeds from frost, and the grass actually grows right up through the burlap and binds with it. Some does push the burlap up a little but that doesn't hurt anything. The burlap (untreated) decomposes in about a year or two. By that time the grass has taken hold. You can get 100 yard 6 feet wide rolls shipped UPS from Dayton Burlap for about $100.00 per roll.

http://www.daybag.com/

(They also sell the staples to stake down the burlap)

2.) Laggis onlys sells hybrid bluegills, not regular bluegills.

I think hybrids would be fun and get large in the smaller pond if you feed them. They do have their place if a bass pond is not the goal.

Chuck
Glad you become excited enough to join the group. You will receive a lot of good information on this form as there are many well informed and well read people.

Chuck, If the water flow rate in the swale between the two ponds is not critical then consider building a rock riprap dam to act as a filter. The width and size of rock will determine how small of particles will be contained by the filtration of the dam. If you chose to use netting/fencing then I recommend that you use the high density polyethylene type plastic netting. The smallest commonly available size is 1/8" mesh which not trap 1/4"-1/2" fish fry. If the water flow is in one direction, I suggest you use three sizes and rows of netting to contain the detritus. The first row can be coarse 1"-1 1/4", the second row can be 1/2"-3/4" mesh and the third one the smallest. This way the larger debris will be collected by the larger sizes and the smallest mesh will remain cleaner longer.

All the fish suppliers that you mentioned will provide good fish. As you deal with them you will form favorite suppliers. If you are an avid fisherman the you probably know of ponds or lakes in you are that are known for quality bgill fisheries. The male bgill for your 0.16 acre pond can be obtained from these waters. Since your pond is small you can easily collect a few (5-8) male bgill each trip. Several sizes and age groups will provide diversity os sizes. Based on the other fish in the small pond, 0.16 ac pond can easily handle 15-30 male bgill, and more under proper conditions.

Here is one link to the product.


http://www.internetplastic.com/pdf/AQUACULTURE_BRO.pdf

I like Bill's suggestion of the rock dam better.