Pond Boss
Posted By: Mark Hopper Water test numbers - 04/21/18 01:40 AM
This is my first post here and maybe a little lengthy.
I fish in a private lake, 130 acres. I pretty much have it to myself. It was drained and restocked in January of 2013. At that time all remaining fish were killed for a true restart. It was restocked with what I understand at that time 165,000 head of bream and shad. Later in that year a number of crappie were put in and by mid summer 6500 Tiger Bass
I can go into detail but bass have done very well, crappie not so much. Bream I’ve caught are about 5/6 inches long.
The owners of the lake have ask me to help them with management. I bought a API Pond Master kit. There planning of fertilizing the water this season. I know just enough to be dangerous! Anyway to day I check the water.the ph was at 9. Phosphate was .25 the other readings were normal. I’m needing to know what needs to be done if anything?
Is this test reliable, should I test in other parts of the lake, at different times of the day?
Will fertilizing be advisable? Help or hurt these readings
Should the water be tested for anything else?
Talk to me like I’m a dummy on this because I am!
Thanks very much
Posted By: Rainman Re: Water test numbers - 04/21/18 04:08 PM
Welcome to the forum Mark!

First, pH can swing wildly throughout an average day. At night. plants respire carbon dioxide, which becomes an acid, and lowers the pH throughout the night and early mornings.....the calcium in the water will then neutralize/buffer the acids and pH will rise all day and into the evening.

A pH of 9 seems kind of high...I'd test for alkalinity and hardness with calcium and other mineral salts to try finding why pH is so high.

I'd hold off on fertilizing...what is clarity (depth you see into the water) and the color.....is it a deep green? Fertilizing could cause a massive algae bloom that gets too dense, dies in a couple cloudy days, and consumes all dissolved oxygen in the water that ends up suffocating all the fish....

With fish 5 years old or more, there should be many lunker bass, large crappie, and 10"+ gills lurking in the water...

With that many acres, I'd bring in a pro to evaluate the lake....
Posted By: Mark Hopper Re: Water test numbers - 04/21/18 08:52 PM
Thanks Rainman for you help.
The water is pretty clear,probably see a spinner bait at least 16/18 inches. It was not fertilized at all last year and has no green tint to it. The lake was drained for the process of installing a new drain/ overflow system. This took about a year to complete. While all of this was going on grass/ weeds grew up in it in most parts about waist high. Would that be having a effect on the ph?
I’ve really only been fishing for the Bass. What I think what were the original stockers are averaging 4lbs but I’ve caught some almost 7. I’ve picked up a few crappie that are about 10 inches and the bream are about 6 inches. I might add that the bass look like footballs, very fat!
Thanks again!
Posted By: esshup Re: Water test numbers - 04/22/18 01:40 AM
Like was said, check for alkalinity and hardness. If those numbers are too low, then fertilizing will be a waste of time - the lake won't be able to utilize the nutrients in there.

The clarity of 16"-18". Is that due to clay turbidity or a phytoplankton bloom?
Posted By: ewest Re: Water test numbers - 04/22/18 02:54 AM
130 acres is a lot to fertilize. How is the fish population? Fertilizing may increase the production by 3 to 4 X. Will you be able to manage that with only a few fishermen. A lot to consider before you start a fertilizer program.
Posted By: anthropic Re: Water test numbers - 04/22/18 03:57 AM
Originally Posted By: Mark Hopper
Thanks Rainman for you help.
The water is pretty clear,probably see a spinner bait at least 16/18 inches. It was not fertilized at all last year and has no green tint to it. The lake was drained for the process of installing a new drain/ overflow system. This took about a year to complete. While all of this was going on grass/ weeds grew up in it in most parts about waist high. Would that be having a effect on the ph?
I’ve really only been fishing for the Bass. What I think what were the original stockers are averaging 4lbs but I’ve caught some almost 7. I’ve picked up a few crappie that are about 10 inches and the bream are about 6 inches. I might add that the bass look like footballs, very fat!
Thanks again!


Mark, I'm no expert, but that much grass & weeds decaying under water should have given a huge amount of natural fertilization. Very similar to a new impoundment, you really should have bigger BG than that.

If you need help taking out small bass, I volunteer my services! smile My favorite techniques are ultralight and fly fishing, both well suited to the smaller fish.

And if you'd like a change of pace, you'd be welcome to join me at my little (by comparison) BOW. Some big BG and RES, LMB up to 20 inches have been caught. Newly stocked Northern feed trained LMB around 12 to 16 inches & fight like crazy. I need help taking out smaller bass, too!
Posted By: Mark Hopper Re: Water test numbers - 04/22/18 07:01 PM
I appreciate all of you suggestions. Hopefully tomorrow if weather permitting I’ll be back out there. I’m planning on getting another check of the ph. Last time I checked it it was mid afternoon. Also I’ll get a check in different parts of the lake just to see what I get. I’ll report back what I find.
As well I’ll verify the clarity, I was guessing a bit on that before
Again thanks to all!
Posted By: Mark Hopper Re: Water test numbers - 04/24/18 01:03 PM
Got back out to the lake yesterday. I checked the ph early and in several places. Where I had originally checked it it stayed the same.....about 9. That was in the back of a cove where the boat ramp is located. About 200yards or so further out of that cove where it meets the body of the lake it showed right at 6! Surprised to see that much change so close. I went to the far end of the lake in another cove and again got a reading of 9. Went back in the main body, still at the far end and got a reading between 5/6.
I had guess at the clarity of the water in the first post and guess wrong. With a white spinner bait on my rod I can see it pretty clear at 30/32 inches. It fades out pretty well at 36.
Again how accurate is the test kit? API Masrer Pond Water test kit. Was recommended I check the water hardness. This kit does not test that. Is there another one that does?
One more thing I’ve noticed. The last few times I’ve been out all the fish I’ve caught have come from the back of coves. I’d assume that might mean that the fish are more tolerant to the higher ph? Or maybe just setting up for the spawn.
Thanks to all!
Posted By: ewest Re: Water test numbers - 04/24/18 03:27 PM
Light effects ph. If the coves were dark and the main lake light you could get different results. What you need is an alkalinity reading.













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Posted By: Mark Hopper Re: Water test numbers - 04/26/18 01:08 AM
Another trip out today. I did a check in three areas of the lake today. I got contestant numbers for the most part. Ph checked 6 to 5.5. Ammonia was 0, Nitrate was 0, and phosphate checked 0 to .25. With these numbers would it be ok to fertilize. Anything else need to be done first.
Thanks for all the advise!
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