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POND BOSS 2023 Articles & Index for Issues
Jan – Feb 2023
Ask the Boss and Pond to Plate omitted due to time limitations.
1. GATHERING EVIDENCE VanSchaik in an enlightening article tells us what to look for in how to determine what animal is killing our wildlife species such as coyotes, bobcats, domestic dogs foxes, mountain lions, bears, wild hogs. Also has examples of predator tracks.

2. PLANNING A POND? DO I NEED A PERMIT? Cornwell gives what is needed as general ideas for permit/s needed and why they are needed. Why impounding a stream or in a wetland is not a good idea. All states are different.

3. VALUE IS AS VALUE DOES. Otto describes property usages, making changes, drain pipe uses, animal invaders, vegetation on the dam, all land sells at some point.

4. SELECTIVE BREEDING TO PRODUCE TRULY TROPHY BASS. Dr. Neal describes numerous details about the Texas ShareLunker Program.

5. ICE SAFETY Cornwell provides numerous ice safety basic facts, suggestions, and tips.

6. GETTTING TO THE CORE OF THE PROBLEM. M.Gary describes a Saturday pond leak repair on a, improperly built dam.

7. CHICKADEES – MY FAVORITE HEROES. Birdman tells us all about these marvelous interesting birds and how to attract about 10 times more birds at winter feeders.

8. THE FINER ASPECTS OF FISH HABITAT. Lusk tells importance of it, fish species, habitat needs of size classes, habitat structure densities, locations, amount needed.

9. TROPHY LARGEMOUTH BASS FISHERIES. Beasley provides detailed ideas for what it takes for trophy bass, feeding needs, ways to have more big bass by stocking forage and benefits of growing only female bass.

10. EVALUATING YOUR FISHERY. Lusk tells how to make smart decisions for better management of your fishery. Focuses on being proactive, sizes classes, data collection and sampling.

11. CHOOSE TO DO HARD THINGS. Wade Bales tells how he helped a fishing club improve the bass sizes and quality for a 200 ac lake.

12. POND MATH. Lusk explains how using math helps produce better management for ponds and lakes.

13. LOW ALKALINITY. Dr Boyd explains all about alkalinity in pond water and how liming can help improve pond productivity. Very Informative.

14. SMALL POND MANAGEMENT IN NORTHERN CLIMATES. Lusk tells how northern pond are different compare to southern ponds and gives tips on helping keep better water quality.

15. STOCKING MULTIPLE SPECIES OF PREDATOR FISH. Lusk explains the give and take reasons for using various predators in your pond / lake.

16. FEEDING FACTORS. Why Fish Prefer Certain Prey. West explains how turbidity and cover affect how fish feed on forage.

Mar-Apr 2023 “Ask the Boss” and “Pond to Plate” were omitted due to time limitations.
1. THE MARVEL OF ANTLERS. VanSchaik tells us all about deer antlers; their function, production process, shedding and where to best find sheds.

2. GOOD PLANNING PAYS OFF. Cornwell gives good info for planning a pond.

3. LIFE IN THE EARTHMOVING BUSINESS. Otto discusses how he will tackle three very different pond construction projects.

4. RENOVATING DORMAN LAKE Into An Outdoor Classroom. Dr. Neal discusses how a neglected 11 ac pond was enhanced for various educational benefits.

5. GOLDILOCKS POND JUST RIGHT. Chris Caldwell tells about new ponds, old ponds and those in-between as pond aging.

6. A DIFFERENT ANGLE ON BROKEN PIPE. Gray tackles two pipe overflow fix problems.

7. NUTHATCHES TURN YOUR BIRD WATCHING UPSIDE DOWN. Birdman Mel tells us all about nuthatches and their interesting habits.

8. AQUATIC VEGETATION – A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. Lusk talks with Ms. Chesser from Texas A&M about plant cycles in your pond and what to look for to do better management.

9. TWO IDENTICAL HATCHERY PONDS. Lusk tells how he made good use of two fill dirt ponds.

10. LESSIONS LEARNED ON A LMB FISHERY. Beasley tells about growing trophy bass in a 7 year old 10 ac pond. Making a good pond better for a big bass fishery.

11. PONDS BUILT FOR A PURPOSE. Lusk tells us old the new reasons building a pond.

12. BRYOZOANS. Lusk provides basic information about these moss animals and where they live.

13. ADIOS COLD, HELLO SPRING. Lusk & Matt Rayl discuss nutrient binding to reduce pond plant problems and the ability of phosphorus to grow plants.

14. THE PERFECT NORTHERN POND. Lusk provides things to do to make your pond better now and in the future.

15. CRAPPIE. Lusk pros and cons and ideals of how to make the best use of them.

16. SPRING SPAWNING. West tells about ways of promoting and inhibiting fry survival.


May-Jun 2023 Ask the Boss and Pond to Plate omitted due to time limitations.
1. SPRING HAS SRUNG. VanSchaik evaluating offspring numbers for ecosystem fitness of songbirds, quail, turkey, mourning doves, rabbits, waterfowl, furbearers, deer, coyote, bobcat, fox raccoon, skunks.

2. ALMOST AVERAGE ….. YELLOW PERCH AT HIGH ELEVATION. Cornwell & Kate Riordan describe the perch population of a New York mountain low productivity lake. Students used length at to age techniques of YP growth. Pros and cons of scale & otolith reading.

3. BRINGING NEW LIFE TO OLD THINGS. Otto gives ideas for methods for buying or improving property wildlife and water.

4. RESTORING A DUCKWEED MESS. Dr. Neal explain duckweed and his ideas and treatment technique is a 32 ac MS lake.

5. WHAT IS A NUISANCE SPECIES? Chris Caldwell describes what makes a problematic species.

6. GETTING TO THE CORE OF THE PROBLEM. M.Gray explains how he rebuilt an old leaky dam in a rock bottom pond.

7. ENJOYING THE SIGHTS AND MOMENTS. Birdman Mel relates some pleasures pf bird activities: martins, bluebirds, hummingbirds, orioles, finches, wood ducks.

8. MANAGING ESTABLISHED LAKES. Lusk gives misconceptions, how to set goals, evaluate, be proactive or reactive. What to look for to better manage your older water body. Defines balance and how to begin seeing the “big 5” water, habitat, food chain, genetics harvest plan.

9. DEVELOPING A QUALITY LARGEMOUTH BASS FISHERY IN SOUTH FLORIDA. Beasley tells us about a 550 ac 1990’s quarry and how good management has improved the fishery.

10.NANOBUBBLE TECHNOLOGY UPDATE. Lusk explains the current facets and uses of Moleaer Nanobubble units. Pricey but ecologically valuable.

11. SOLAR AERATION – DESIGNING A SYSTEM. Brian Hoffman explains how he produced a battery powered system to improve water quality.

12. INVASIVE AMOUNTS OF NATIVE AQUATIC PLANTS . Lusk explains when pond plants become too abundant to mitigate them.

13. THE CONTINUAL STIVING OF THE WATER AND ITS MAGNIFICANT CYCLE. Dr Boyd explains the hydrologic cycle.

14. YOUR OLD CHRISTMAS TREE CAN HELP YOU CATCH MORE FISH. Kate Riordan discovered from a study that yellow perch prefer laying eggs on X-mas trees compared to porcupine cribs.

15. TRANSFERRING FISH FROM HERE TO THERE. Lusk explains several good reasons why transferring adult fish is a bad idea.

16. CORMORANT PREDATION. West summarizes a 15 year study about cormorant diet in Oneida Lk NY. These birds basically eat whatever fish is most abundant.

Jul-Aug 2023 Ask the Boss and Pond to Plate omitted due to time limitations.
1. IS SUPPLIMENTA FEED NECESSARY THROUGH SUMMER? Vanschaik discusses summer feeding of deer, turkey, quail, doves, songbirds.
2. BETTER OUR PONDS BY IMPROVING DIVERSITY. Cornwell gives several ideas for improving the quality for the fishery.

3. GETTING TO THE CORE. Otto reviews and discusses building core trenches.

4. WHY IT IS SO HARD TO RECOVER A BASS CROWDED POND. Dr. Neal provides excellent info about bass / fish harvest – when and how much.

5. TRAPPING FISH –LITTLE FISH BIG FUN. C.Cornwell tells active and passive methods to sample young fish.

6. BLOWN OUT. M.Gray describes damage to a lake after a 500 yr flood event.

7. WHAT DO HUMMINGBIRDS WANT. Birdman Mel tells how to attract and feed hummers.

8. WICHITA LAKE DONE WELL. Lusk reviews a pond renovation story giving good advice to pond owners with trash fish.

9. OXYGEN REDUCTION AND POND MUCK. Lusk explains the benefit of organic muck reduction using nanobubbles.

10. METHANE IN OUR PONDS. Bruce Kania explains methane production and need to reduce it by keeping bottoms oxygenated.

11. GROWING TROPHY FISH ON A STABLE FOUNDATION. Beasley explains why water quality & knowing aobut it is basic for growing trophy fish.

12. SPAWNING CATFISH AT A HATCHERY. Lusk describes spawning to fingerling production methods.

13. BASIC CONCEPT ABOUT POND PRODUCTIVITY. Dr. Boyd explains how and what happens as a pond fills with water. What is needed so fish can grow well – chemistry, clarity, nutrients, oxygen production, food web formation, and management.

14. PREPPING NORTHERN PONDS - Managing The Fishery. Lusk gives his ideas for getting your fish ready for winter weather.

15. SIGN OF AQUATIC FURBEARERS. Lusk advises about dealing with problem causing furry animals in ponds.

16. PLANKTON – WHERE IT ALL STARTS AND STOPS. West reviews interactions of plankton and fish and how fish foods effect plankton production.

Sep-Oct 2023 Ask the Boss and Pond to Plate omitted due to time limitations.
1. CREATING A MORE FAVORABLE WILDLIFE LANDSCAPE. VanSchaik gives ideas for more and improved habitat structure. Foliage density & height, Stand age, Edge effect, Buffer zone, Forest openings, Paths & Trails, Raprian protection, Protected connectivity travel ways.

2. ARE THERE OPTIONS FOR CARP CONTROL? Cornwell’s several ideas to eliminate or just reduce carp numbers.

3. RANDOM THOUGHTS FROM THE DOZER CAB. Otto gives us approaches for new ponds and dealing with the basic problems of water level and soil problems.

4. THE SLAB LAB: NOT YOUR GRANDADDY’S BREAM. Dr. Neal tells the history & details of Sarah Parvin Slab Lab project in a 5 ac pond where they are growing trophy coppernose bluegill attempting for a world record goal.
Numerous of their mgmt methods discussed.

5. FOOD WEBS. C.Caldwell explains how food webs work and their function.

6. PITFALLS OF MISSING PIPE. M.Gray searching for discharge pipe problems in a 10 ac lake.

7. HOLE IN THE SNAG GANG. Birdman Mel elaborates on interesting facts about several species of woodpeckers.

8. PHASING IN YOUR FISH STOCKING PROGRAM. Lusk tells why to do proper planning when stocking your pond or lake for best results and fewer later errors.

9. HOMEOWNER’S ASSOCIATIONS & LAKE MANAGEMENT STRUGGLES. Lusk provides ideas for HOA’S of how to deal with lake problems.

10. ARE YOUR PREACHER OR CHOIR? Lusk discusses several of the curve balls thrown at your pond.

11. CONSIDERING COOL WATER FISH IN A WARM WATER CLIMATE? Beasley discusses the needs of cool water fish and if your pond quality is suited for them such as Tiger musky, smallmouth, walleye & yellow perch.

12. FALL AERATION STRATIGIES. Lusk has hints for using newly installed and established bottom aerator use in the Fall season.

13. MEASURING OXYGEN IN YOUR PONDS. Dr. Boyd tells all about dissolved oxygen concentration, percent saturation, pressure of DO in the water, DO solubility and altitude.

14. WHAT GOALS WORK? Lusk & Cody discuss the ability to have natural balance with low productivity and low maintenance. Manage water quality and plant abundance are key items.

15. EXPECTING SEPTEMBER. Lusk reminds us what happens in ponds as they enter Fall. Reminders to consider – weed abundance, plankton densities, feeding fish, catching fish, culling, adding forage fish, and harvesting.

16. DIFFERENCES ACROSS A LATITUDINAL SCALE. West summarizes three articles dealing with fish growth rates – environmental vs genetic influences.

Nov-Dec 2023 Ask the Boss and Pond to Plate omitted due to time limitations.
1. SNARING FOR PREDATOR CONTROL. VanSchaik gives valuable advice about using, types and setting of effective snares for animal control.

2. LIVING ON THE EDGE. Cornwell discusses edge diversity importance especially in small ponds with ways to improve it for more types of organisms.

3. DOWN TO THE CORE OF BUSINESS. Otto explains expert core building basic concepts for dams.

4. MAKING OLD PONDS NEW AGAIN. Dr. Neal defines old ponds, features to look for and several possible options for improvements.

5. AQUATIC PLANTS HAVE A ROLE IN OUR PONDS. Cornwell gives basic types of pond plants.

6. ANTICIPATION. Mike Gray gives thoughts of dealing with compaction and dealing with rock areas in pond building.

7. RED HEADED WOODPECKERS. Birdman Mel tells all about these interesting birds.

8. CAN YOUR LAKE HAVE EVERYTHING? Lusk describes the short history of a 25 ac hypo-eutrophic reservoir having many fish species working together.

9. TAKE OWNERSHIP OF YOUR MANAGEMENT PLAN. Lusk visits a fishing club with a 120 ac lake near Dallas. Gives ideas of how to more proactive managers. Management ideas for them.

10. ELECTROFISHING – When and Why To Do It. Lusk describes the principles of it, the numerous benefits, types of data collected, best times, size class benefits, strategies of collecting and handing data, types of fisheries served best, tells biases of sampling by angling,

11. FISH BEHAVOIR. Different Fish Respond Differently. Lusk describes basic fish behaviors to better understand your fish and pond. Instincts for breeding, feeding, defense and offense.

12. LIGHT, PLANTS, AND LIFE IN A FISH POND. Dr Boyd explains well how sunlight fuels the pond food web and basic results of algae production.

13. WINTERTIME MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES – FISH LIVE UNDER ICE. Lusk gives 3 helpful ideas to reduce chances of northern pond winter kill.

14. WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR WINTER WATER? Lusk explains some of the activities happenings during winter.

15. AGGRESSIVENESS AND BOLDNESS. West describes the inherited traits noted in 2 research articles about fish behavior relating to angling catches of bluegill and largemouth.

Index 2023
Aeration benefits Sep-Oct 2023
Aeration fall use Sep-Oct 2023
Aeration nanobubble May-Jun 2023
Algal propagules Nov-Dec 2023
Alkalinity sampling Jan-Feb 2023
Antlers deer Mar-Apr 2023
Bass all female Jan-Feb 2023
Bass crowded Jul-Aug 2023
Bass harvest study Jan-Feb 2023
Bass mgmt of big Mar-Apr 2023
Bass ShareLunker program Jan-Feb 2023
Bass smallmouth prey items Jan-Feb 2023
Bass trophy growing Jan-Feb 2023
Bicarbonate conc Jan-Feb 2023
Bioenergetics Sep-Oct 2023
Bird hummingbirds Jul-Aug 2023
Bird Nuthatches Mar-Apr 2023
Bird red headed woodpeckers Nov-Dec 2023
Birds chickadees Jan-Feb 2023
Birds enjoying the types May-Jun 2023
Bluegill coppernose growing Sep-Oct 2023
Bryozoans Mar-Apr 2023
Calcium carbonate Jan-Feb 2023
Carbon dioxide Nov-Dec 2023
Carp common controls Sep-Oct 2023
Catfish channel spawning Jul-Aug 2023
Catfish spawning Jul-Aug 2023
Christmas tree habitat May-Jun 2023
Cogradient variation Sep-Oct 2023
Compaction pond core May-Jun 2023
Cool water fish in warm water Sept-Oct 2023
Coppernose BG Slab Lab Sept-Oct 2023
Core trench basics Jul-Aug 2023
Core trench info Nov-Dec 2023
Cormorant feeding habits May-Jun 2023
Cover predator feeding Jan-Feb 2023
Crappie use mgmt Mar-Apr 2023
Crayfish as SMbass pray Jan-Feb 2023 pg52
Cutoff trench Nov-Dec 2023
Dam flooding blowouts Jul-Aug 2023
Dam foundation Nov-Dec 2023
Deer antler info Mar-Apr 2023
Dissolved oxygen good infos Sep-Oct 2023
Dissolved oxygen production Nov-Dec 2023
Diversity habitat types Jul-Aug 2023
Dorman Lake Classroom Mar-Apr 2023
Duckweed mgmt May-Jun 2023
Ecotone edges Nov-Dec 2023
Electrofishing info Nov-Dec 2023
Emerald shiner bass prey Jan-Feb 2023 pg52
Eutrophic Jul-Aug 2023
Evapotranspiration May-Jun 2023
Fishery evaluation Jan-Feb 2023
Fish adult transferring May-Jun 2023
Fish aggressiveness Nov-Dec 2023
Fish all female bass Jan-Feb 2023
Fish behavior conditioning Nov-Dec 2023
Fish boldness Nov-Dec 2023
Fish catfish spawning Jul-Aug 2023
Fish conditioning –learning Nov-Dec 2023
Fish crappie Mar-Apr 2023
Fish diversity success Nov-Dec 2023
Fish F1bassing Mar-Apr 2023
Fish feeding shift factors Jan-Feb 2023
Fish habitat aspects Jan-Feb 2023
Fish meal + plankton Jul-Aug 2023
Fish mgmt cool water types Sep-Oct 2023
Fish predator diversity Jan-Feb 2023
Fish sampling small ones Jul-Aug 2023
Fish shad grazing Jul-Aug 2023
Fish smallmouth prey Jan-Feb 2023
Fish stocking plans Sep-Oct 2023
Fish trophy grow Jul-Aug 2023
Fish TX Sharelunker program Jan-Feb 2023
Fish yellow perch spawn May-Jun 2023
Fishery evaluation Jan-Feb 2023
Food chain basics Nov-Dec 2023
Food web Nov-Dec 2023
Food webs simplified Sep-Oct 2023
Furbearer signs Jul-Aug 2023
Genotypes Sep-Oct 2023
Goby as SMbass prey Jan-Feb 2023 pg 53
Golden shiner bass prey JanFeb2023 pg52
Habitat basics Jan-Feb 2023
Habitat Christmas trees May-Jun 2023
Habitat diversity better Jul-Aug 2023
Harvest bass improvement Jan-Feb 2023
Homeowner Assoc Hints Sep-Oct 2023
Hypereutrophic Jul-Aug 2023
Hyperproductivity Nov-Dec 2023
Ice safety Jan-Feb 2023
Invasive water weeds natives May-Jun 2023
Keyway basics Nov-Dec 2023
Lake established mgmt May-Jun 2023
Land buy pond build Jul-Aug 2023
Land values – amendments Jan-Feb 2023
Largemouth bass feeding Jan-Feb 2023
Largemouth grow big F1 Mar-Apr 2023
Largemouth harvest study Jan-Feb 2023
Largemouth stunted crowded Jul-Aug 2023
Liming info Jan-Feb 2023
LMB crowded Jul-Aug 2023
LMB grow big ones Mar-Apr 2023
LMB quality in Florida May-Jun 2023
LMB select breeding TX Jan-Feb 2023
Manage established lakes May-Jun 2023
Mathematics – pond Jan-Feb 2023
Methane biogenic Jul-Aug 2023
Methanotrophs Jul-Aug 2023
Moss animals Mar-Apr 2023
Muck accumulation Jul-Aug 2023
Musky tiger warm water Sep-Oct 2023
Nanobubble aeration May-Jun 2023
Nanobubble air explained Jul-Aug 2023
Nuisance species defined May-Jun 2023
Oxygen percent saturation Sep-Oct 2023
Oxygen production Nov-Dec 2023
pH & alkalinity Jan-Feb 2023
Phenotypes Sep-Oct 2023
Photosynthesis results Nov-Dec 2023
Pipe repair troubles Mar-Apr 2023
Plankton equals fish Jul-Aug 2023
Plankton examples Jul-Aug 2023
Plant mgmt basic concepts Mar-Apr 2023
Plants sugar production Nov-Dec 2023
Pond building goals change Mar-Apr 2023
Pond built purposeful Mar-Apr 2023
Pond compaction Nov-Dec 2023
Pond core compaction May-Jun 2023
Pond core trench build Jul-Aug 2023
Pond external loading Jul-Aug 2023
Pond Fall activities Sep-Oct 2023
Pond fish evaluation Jan-Feb 2023
Pond goldilocks Mar-Apr 2023
Pond good plan ideas Mar-Apr 2023
Pond habitat diversity Jul-Aug 2023
Pond habitat types Jan-Feb 2023
Pond hatchery differences Mar-Apr 2023
Pond ice safety Jan-Feb 2023
Pond leak search pipe Sep-Oct 2023
Pond low maintenance Sep-Oct 2023
Pond math Jan-Feb 2023
Pond mgmt curve balls Sep-Oct 2023
Pond mgmt ideas Mar-Apr 2023
Pond mgmt vs active Nov-Dec 2023
Pond northern prep Jul-Aug 2023
Pond old to new Nov-Dec 2023
Pond one day repair Jan-Feb 2023
Pond permits Jan-Feb 2023
Pond pipe repair Mar-Apr 2023
Pond renovate restart Jul-Aug 2023
Pond smalls northern Jan-Feb 2023
Pond uses goals Mar-Apr 2023
Pond water cycle May-Jun 2023
Pond winter activities Nov-Dec 2023
Pond winter mgmt ideas Nov-Dec 2023
Pond winter prep Jul-Aug 2023
Ponds Spring changes Mar-Apr 2023
Predator multi species Jan-Feb 2023
Property old renewal May-Jun 2023
Renovate pond Jul-Aug 2023
Respiration vs oxygenation Nov-Dec 2023
Rock pond basin basics Nov-Dec 2023
Shad grazing plankton Jul-Aug 2023
Sharelunker program Jan-Feb 2023
Slab Lab Parvin’s CNBG Sep-Oct 2023
Smallmouth bass feeding items Jan-Feb 2023
Smallmouth warm water Sep-Oct 2023
SmartFish app Jan-Feb 2023
Snares use setup Nov-Dec 2023
Soil compaction core May-Jun 2023
Spawning enhancements Mar-Apr 2023
Sun energy as a pond fuel Nov-Dec 2023
Transfer adult fish May-Jun 2023
Trophic cascade Jul-Aug 2023
Turbidity predator feeding Jan-Feb 2023
Walleye in warm water Sep-Oct 2023
Water cycle explained May-Jun 2023
Water dissolved oxygen Sep-Oct 2023
Water for trophy fish Jul-Aug 2023
Water warm cool types Sep-Oct 2023
Weed mgmt new ideas Mar-Apr 2023
Weeds aquatic invasives May-Jun 2023
Weeds types benefits Nov-Dec 2023
Wildlife habitat improvements Sep-Oct 2023
Wildlife kill evidence Jan-Feb 2023
Wildlife summer feeding Jul-Aug 2023
Wildlife types of spring May-Jun 2023
Woodpeckers Sep-Oct 2023
Yellow perch aging May-Jun 2023
Yellow perch eggs on trees May-Jun 2023
Yellow perch warm water Sep-Oct 2023