I need some expertise as I have just been put in charge of the re-stocking of our 210 Acre lake in South Carolina. I am lost a bit and need some advice.


Some background I am sure will be needed, so here goes.

The lake is 210 acres, spring-fed,mostly 4-10 feet deep and the deepest part is 35 feet deep. The water is very clear to where you can see 8-10 feet deep and the PH is Currently 6.3. We are in the process of adding Christmas Trees and Pallets as the structure and cover is limited right now.

There are Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Shellcracker, a small number of Hybrid Crappie, Chain Pickerel, Grass Carp,and Blue Catfish.

The Beavers are being trapped, Slider turtles seem fine, we have a pair of Bald Eagles as well as a few Ospreys.
Only 10-15 people fish this private lake and most bass are 1-2.5-3# fish.
Some fish between 4# and 8# are caught (but not often) and a 12# 12 ounce and a few 10#rs were caught last year.

We see a large amount of 3-5 inch bass and bluegill around most of the docks- they seem plentiful.

The HOA does not want to electro-shock to see exactly the balance of the lake and I cannot convince them, so it's a dead issue.

One company suggested the following fish to stock based on our budget and that most of the fisherman want bigger Bass.

30,000 Bluegill 3-4"
15,000 Shellcracker- 3-4'
2,000 4-6" Bluegill
2,000 4-6" Shellcracker
1,500 Largemouth Bass-2-4"
30,000 Fathead Minnows

Questions I have:

-Does this balance of fish make sense and if not any suggestions?

- I now have been asked to add Crappies as well. Will this effect the bass negatively and how many Crappie could/should we add?

- Would it be beneficial to add Dye to the water and what would it cost approximately?

- How much Lime would need to be added to increase the PH from 6.3 to a healthier PH amount?
- Are Fat Head minnows better in this case than Mosquito Fish?
- Any other suggestions?

Thank You for any guidance and thoughts.

I'm not even close to being qualified to make suggestions, but I am curious...why are you restocking? Based on what you have now, which sounds pretty good to me, what changes are you looking for?

I think you should hire a professional for that size of lake.

We are restocking because the fishermen and women want to see more LMB between 4# and 10#s. They are saying the fishing has slowed way down the last 3-5 years in number of fish and size of fish.

The HOA does not trust outside professionals as they think they are just overpaid salesmen. I may not agree, but the monies I have been given can only be spent on actual fish, building structure, Liming or feeding the fish.

I fear you will just be wasting money and providing expensive snacks to the present population.

Maybe a slot limit? I will have to leave that to the professionals.

With a lake that big you really need a professional to come out and do a survey. Based on the numbers you gave I would say you are looking at $20,000 of fish that may not be needed. A $1500 electrofishing survey would help you determine if additional stocker fish are needed and if not the money can be used somewhere else where it would have a greater impact.

Dying a lake that size will first be expensive, and second will probably be ineffective. Do you have an idea of the flow rate that is leaving the lake? If you have a high flow rate out of the pond the dye will dissipate quickly and not do what it was designed to do.

With a lake that big you could try Crappie. They usually aren't recommended in small lakes because their spawning cycles are boom or bust and they have a tendency to stunt.

Liming will be ineffective in a spring fed lake because it will quickly be washed out in a similar fashion to the dye.

Fathead minnows will be better for a new lake or pond. They reproduce much quicker than mosquitofish.

I will not offer any advice because I'm just learning about such stuff myself but one question that came to me after reading your post is:

Are the fish being caught catch and release or or they being harvested? In other words, if they are being harvested are more fish being taken out than the lake can provide growth for replacement?

In a BOW that size, not hiring a professional is like being sick with something serious and not going to a doctor, instead stopping the first person you meet on the street for advice.

Without an electroshock survey, you have no idea what fish are in the BOW. Stocking more fish on top of what is in there without knowing what is actually needed is flat out throwing money away.

That's like taking medicine without knowing if that nedicine will work on what's ailing you.

Give the HOA board of directors the information how to get to this place and have them look at it.

But on the other hand, if they are that set on their ways to throw money away, there's not much you can do about it.

These HOA boards crack me up. Why are people so ignorant some times?

I agree with all of the above. If you have plentiful small bass you certainly don't need more.

I believe I would pay attention to the forage base of bluegills and try to grow them. The bass will follow.

If the fishing for large bass has declined, it is because they aren't getting the proper amount of forage(food) that they need. The bass need forage that is between 1/4 to 1/3 their body size and the old rule of thumb is that it takes 10 pounds of groceries for a bass to gain 1 pound. That 1/10 is often debated here. You just might have a situation where the small bass are over eating the bluegills before they get a chance to grow large enough to make a proper meal for the larger predators.

Think about this. The best cattle ranch manager is a grass farmer. The cow is the predator and the grass is the prey(forage). If the cows over graze the grass, the ground bakes and has a problem replenishing itself. However, if the cows are rotated around, the forage base has a chance to replenish. Culling of the herd is also vital. If the cow has to walk too far in search of food, it loses weight and fails to thrive. Thus, both the predator and forage stay healthy when both predator and prey are balanced. It's the same with rabbits and coyotes.

Like others here, I would hire a professional with a good reputation for lake management and not fish selling. If that is a dead issue, I think you are hosed and need to tell them to find someone else to waste their money. From what you are saying, I think restocking without not knowing the current situation is a good way to blow $20,000.

Actually, it sounds like, to me, that more fish is not what you need AT THIS TIME.

See this link on how to assess lake fish condition and balance. Do a seine survey and in depth catch analysis with pics. Also write down exactly what each fisherman has caught/seen over the last 3 years as best you can and compile that info. Start collecting RW info.

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92492#Post92492



I would not spend that money on fish at present. You need an electroshock survey to go with the info above to make an informed choice. You might be better served to start a supplemental feeding program and think about an alternative forage fish (Tshad , Gshiners or other). You may not be using your open water to raise forage (unused niche). Hybrid crappie do reproduce and not at insignificant amounts.

Relative Weight threads (RW) and growth info

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=231704&page=1

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.ph...true#Post163866

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.ph...true#Post187383

Good question. One of the biggest fallacies I've run into in pond management is if the fishing is not good the body of water needed to be planted with more fish. Most of the time that couldn't be further from the truth.

To have the money to plant fish that probably aren't needed but not get a serious diagnosis of the pond situation strikes me as penny wise pound foolish.

I ran in to the same problem with a HOA. But, when I explained to them why stocking more fish without knowing what was in the BOW, they agreed. They were suprised when I said "don't stock fish until you know what is in the BOW". They were used to people selling them anything that they thought they needed, and weren't used to someone telling them NOT to do something. i.e. keep that money in their pocket for now.

A little info and a couple opinions about the ecology of the lake. Baseline: .."lake is 210 acres, spring-fed, mostly 4-10 feet deep and the deepest part is 35 feet deep. The water is very clear to where you can see 8-10 feet deep and the PH is Currently 6.3."

Clear water indicates low nutrient concentrations which means the lake is not real productive compared to fertile eutrophic waters. This could be due to low alkalinity and or abundant weed (plant) growth to compete for nutrients instead of having abundant phytoplankton (grass that feeds everything else). Submerged weeds could appear to be a problem, however weeds are habitat. Good habitat grows good wildlife.

201 acres can still have a very good fish community of good ranges of sizes but just not as much as a more fertile cloudy greenish water lake. Steelman is correct adding lake dye is not good since it will lower productivity even more by limiting phytoplankton (base productivity) which in turn limits zooplankton which limits growth of all sizes of fish.

Anglers are still catching fish and some large fish which indicates the food chain is present. One key item is to make sure the natural foods produced are not overeaten by too many smaller mid-sized fish. Balance and the correct numbers of fish in each size group that are present is key to maintaining balance and achieving fishery goals. A good fish survey tells the manager what the current balance is. Every angler or the most frequent anglers should be required to keep catch records to help with determining fish sizes and balance. Several fishing methods / techniques should be used to monitor the fish community. Pan fishing, predator angling, and forage fish sampling, all with catch records, are very important for measuring fish community balance. The HOA does not know the fish balance and community structure which should be well known before adding more fish.

Most bodies of water do not need more fish stocked despite what many think is best for improving a fishery. More is not always better. What most waters really need more than anything, is selective harvest of fish that are too abundant in a certain size class.

Often to improve a fishery using funds to implement a fish feeding program is efficient use of monies. Look at what a fish feeding program did for the high flow through, nutrient poor Richmond Mill Lake that now has a world class trophy fishery. Regularly adding more fish did not produce this high quality fishery. It was wise professional management designed for the current habitat and conditions. The key component is getting someone smart enough to asses or evaluate the habitat and then doing what works best to optimize those conditions.

Given they aren't going to shock the lake or hire a professional , I would be inclined to go with the fish feeding program. If adding anything, maybe some feed trained LMB or Hybrid Striped Bass. Are they against Hybrid Striped Bass? Those can grow rapidly on a feed program and personally I think are more fun to catch than LMB. You would probably need to cage them (let them grow out ) somehow depending on their initial stock size but with the funds they are willing to spend on stocking ,it shouldn't be a problem.

If nothing else, get the fisherman to chart the fish they catch this year , and agree to address the following year or after a few months it might become obvious to address a slot with the lmb.

I'm also inclined to go with the feeding program. Maybe you could work with the HOA and teach people who live shore side to help with this. I would also advise to at least mix sinking pellets with floating food. When feeding floating feed alone only the larger adults get the feed and the smaller ones miss out. Another thing I noticed is the Christmas trees. Unless you weight the bottom and add floats to the top these will just clump up on the bottom and make good place to snag fish hooks on. Most people around here either make or buy the artificial ones.

Xmas trees are a very good choice for the right goals. I have used them for many purposes for 20 + years. See the structure archive for uses and methods.

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92463#Post92463

Bill,

If the lake association doesn't want to pay for competent management I'd predict disaster with an extensive feeding program.

+1

You could check and see if either USC or Clemson would like to send out some of their Marine sciences or aquaculture students to do some field work.

I am certainly the least qualified to offer any type of advice or suggestions, but based upon the above quote and what's been caught, I would love to be angler #16!

IMO, 10-15 (of the same) anglers in a 210 acre lake is not what I would consider accurate sampling!

Many of you have said if you're having a hard time catching the big ones out of your pond, invite someone who's never fished it as they always seem to find 'em!

I've always been a LMB fisherman, but since having my own 2 acre pond I've pretty much put away the normal LMB tackle and 10-20lb test for the ultra-light equipment. My brother's girlfriend shows up on Sunday with a 6.5' rod, 25lb braided line and a Gene Larew 4.5" Mega Ring Tube. She casts straight out into the middle of the pond and while yackin' away, pulls in a nearly 3# LMB.

Guess what I went back to the shed for?

My point is, it seems as though the fish are in there but maybe the angler's don't want to work hard enough to find 'em?

CB1 & jludwig say "If the lake association doesn't want to pay for competent management i'd predict disaster with an extension feeding program."

I wholeheartedly agree. Implementing a fish feeding program should not be started unless it is known what the current status is of species and size groups that currently comprise the fish community. This shows which species would benefit best from the feeding program. Good baseline fishery information needs to be known about the fishes present so comparisons can be made to see how well the feeding is helping improve the fishery. The main problem as I see it is the lack of confidence that the HOA has about the benefits a knowledgeable fishery expert can provide.

Agree about HOA, if they are willing to spend all that $ to stock fish, it seems a shame they can't agree on getting a Prof. To help and provide a shock survey. The lake actually sounds like it's in ok shape based on the description, what if you stock and spend all that $ and nothing changes, or things actually get worse in terms of the avg lmb.

My idea on the feed program was to introduce some feed trained lmb and HSB in certain areas, not sure how easy/difficult this would be , but know of some large private lakes that do this....all that said, they are all prof. Managed...hence the advice above from Bill, Cecil, etc...

I'm no expert either but I agree with Bill Cody. Sounds like the water is WAY to clear to be fertile, or is that normal in SC? Water that clear around here means the pond or lake needs fertilizer. The general rule around here is if you stick your arm down in the water and can still see your hand at 18 inches, fertilize the pond.

It would be interesting to know why they have this lack of confidence. Perhaps they had a bad experience with a self proclaimed expert? I've heard of celebrity anglers that think they are experts on bass management just because they can catch them.

I think they should invite a professional to a HOA meeting and go from there. I think they would be surprised.

I agree that prof help is warranted and suggested to hold off on more fish. However he said no ! My view of this is that we should try and help guide him through this not just say the sky is falling. Gather what info you can and lets see how we can help. I am not going to define "extensive" which was not suggested by anyone. An extensive feeding program on a 210 acre lake would cost way more than the fish being contemplated. This is not some 1 acre pond. He could easily run 5 feeders with a supp feeding program and not make a dent (measurable change) in the clear water quality. IIRC this lake is twice the size of RM and has somewhat similar properties (acid with water flow and clear water).

I can't agree more!!! Well said.

What about all the different ways he may research and evaluate what he has going on. Then apply that knowledge to help start the process of proper management. He will gain their trust thru education and applying simple techniques, and then they may trust his opinion when he says its time to bring in a professional manager.

Perhaps the HOA is willing to spend money on traps, seins, etc?
Perhaps spending money on literature to educate the fisherman as to what needs to be kept track of and how to do it?

Wow,

Thank you all for your input and obviously this is a forum where people care about our fish and waterways. It's great to see so much free Positive feedback to try and help me.

It's obvious I need to build some faith within the HOA and convince them that continuing to throw fish (and money aimlessly) into this beautiful lake, may not be the best long-term goal.

I think there has been some history of people arguing when the lake should be stocked, what it should be stocked with, when the lake should be lowered, etc... I am new to the HOA so I have no history and have not screwed up anything yet or pissed anyone mad that I know.

As someone mentioned, I think you all have convinced me that it would be best if I get some professional assistance from Clemson, USC, or elsewhere. This lake could be a great project for a college student with all the Wildlife and fish in it. It actually could be a 4 year study for one student who then could pass it on to another student, when they graduate.
Most of the people who live on the lake are local and generally support one of these two colleges, so it may be an easier sell.

As I am typing this I just watched one of the eagles grab a Chain Pickeral and is tearing it apart eating it, in the tree across the lake.

Does anyone know who at these colleges I should contact to see if there is an interest?

I may not be able to stop the HOA from stocking this year, but as was suggested, I may be able to get a Professional involved, propose a study to electro-shock the lake, and put a long-term plan together to make this lake Sustainable rather than fishable, or just another one of Mother Nature's Gems we try and fight.

Thank You all once again.

I think you are making a smart decision Foodeefish, it should be an easier sell as well to the HOA , as the University should have nothing to gain but knowledge and experience for students , and they aren't trying to sell you anything. Could be a class project as well during the Spring. Let us know what they find / recommend as I'm sure people here could help tailor their advice to best fit your situation.

I wholeheartedly agree with the professional help suggestion.

You are dealing with a body 30x what I am presently dealing with. What my research has led me to understand is that the #1 order of business you should be attending to is water chemistry. Figure out your alkalinity and PH at a specific time and do the lime thing first.

It's hard to say how much lime for sure, but 1 ton per acre would be a good starting point. I would guess it will take much more than that. The water will lose some clarity. Hopefully the HOA understands this. Clear water for swimming is not the best for growing fish.

Christmas trees are great structure for spawning yellow perch. Not sure beyond that. Pallets should be good for FHM which would be my next course of action in your case.

I kind of went off assumptions with my project. 7 acres low PH super clear water and presumed low alkalinity. Water sample taken for verification and in process. I did 3 ton per acre simply because the trucking was the major cost in my case. I added 15 gallons of FHM and 200 YP even though I probably should have waited. I got in a rush as I want to have the YP spawn in spring.

Not an expert (far from it) but I take things seriously when I want to learn...

Hesperus brings up liming and fertilizing. With their limited budget and only a relatively few anglers to please/satisfy, I don't think that increasing the 210 ac lake's fertility and creating more fish production will be able to be managed correctly by their limited amount of resources. More fish pounds per acre are not always better. However one can produce larger average sizes of fish in the existing carrying capacity by population adjustments without increasing fertility. It is a combination of fisheries and population management.

More fish being present will require more management even if it just involves harvesting more fish either by angling man hours or by electroshocking - monitoring to maintain the community to be skewed toward larger average sized fishes which I assume is the goal. The clear low fertility water is very capable of growing large trophy class fish, however not very many per acre. Clean water, low productivity lakes (oligotrophic) in US & Canada are testimony of this. With proper fish harvest (management), I think the fishery can be skewed to increase the average size of the species of fish that anglers are seeking. The "trick" is to find a professional fisheries biologist that is knowledgeable enough to recognize what needs to be done and how to accomplish the goal.

FYI:
Clemson http://www.clemson.edu/cafls/departments/biosci/graduates/interest.html
Clemson is currently looking for a fisheries professor.
http://wfscjobs.tamu.edu/jobs/assistant-professor-wildlife-ecology-south-carolina-2/
Patrick G. Jodice at Clemson is Leader of the South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; Associate Professor, Ph.D. Oregon State University, 1999. Research interests in the fields of wildlife ecology, conservation biology, physiological ecology, and ornithology. Current research focuses on ecological energetics, foraging ecology, diet and nutrition, and avian diving behavior. ( http://people.clemson.edu/~pjodice/ Email: pjodice@clemson.edu)

USC does not currently have a strong fisheries program

North Carolina State currently has a larger fisheries program and more fisheries professors than Clemson.
http://cnr.ncsu.edu/fer/directory/fwcb.php

East Carolina currently has a fisheries professor.
http://www.ecu.edu/cs-cas/biology/overton_anthony.cfm

Contact Dave Willis at SDSU as they place students like that as we speak. They have IMO the best applied Fisheries Program in the US. Also they may be able to help through AFS (American Fisheries Society) as they have programs also and have regional affiliates (SDAFS covers your area).

http://sdafs.org/

Correct me if I am wrong, but a ph of 6.3 is quite low. Clear water and low ph should indicate a likely low alkalinity and acidic water?

Liming would bring the alkalinity back in line and lessen the wild ph swings that would likely occur during the day.


What I was told by a WDNR fisheries biologist was that water in this type of range typically will sustain "ok" populations of LMB and bluegills, but not much more. Before I would add fish I'd get the water chemistry in order and see what nature can do on it's own with what already exists.

I think I read that they have a $16,000 budget?

Again consult an expert, but I'd be liming for stability first.

A pH of 6.3 isn't that low as 7 is neutral. Low to me, would be like 4.7.

A pH of 6.3 is just 0.2 less than what is considered normal range of pH for natural waters. "Aquatic life and recreational uses of lakes and streams are not affected when the pH varies between 6.5 and 9.0. When you see a pH value ask these questions because how and when the sample was taken can affect the measurement or reading." A difference of 0.2 could easily be due to error.
• Was the test performed correctly? Was the reading taken directly in the stream or was the sample handled correctly?
• Was the test performed during the summer in very productive waters (many aquatic plants)? Water containing many aquatic plants may have raised pH values on summer afternoons because of plant photosynthesis where readings will be lowest in early morning when plants have released carbon dioxide and highest mid or late afternoon when the CO2 has been abosrbed. CO2 addition makes water more acidic.
• Does the watershed contain a lot of granite-like rock, dense conifer forests, or acidic soil? If so, it will likely have relatively acidic waters. Limestone based soils will result in surface waters that are more basic or alkaline aka 'hard'.

Unpolluted rain water normally has a range of pH between 5 and 6.

Question for the experts? Since he said the HOA may want to stock regardless this year, would there be less risk/higher reward in adding the largest sized forage as possible (bluegill, shiners, redear sunfish, threadfins etc) and structure? Adding any predators just seems like it could be extremely risky without a survey first. Hopefully the college or pro's could help later, but I'm curious as to the dangers of that tactic

Wow!!!

First, Thank You Mr. Cody (and others)for the contacts names and phone numbers. I will do my best to try and create a Stewardship for this lake and keep everyone on this Forum updated to our progress. I believe we have a gem of a lake here. I just saw an owl has taken residence in one of my duck boxes again this year and the Coots and Greebs have shown up while the Loons have flown North last week.

Thanks again to everyone and I will try and answer everyone's questions so I give more details below.

The lake is surrounded by Pines Trees 25'-50' high which the Eagles love. The only rocks are the rubble that was put on the inside of the actual dam when it was built so there would be no erosion. There are Lily pads both large and small in about 2-3% of the total lake. and there are weeds that cover roughly 5% of the shallow parts of the total lake.

I would guess that the lake has less than 1% structure. There are a few boats that have been sunk for ten years, approximately 12 sets of pallet pyramids/ triangles in 10 feet of water,, 50-70 individual Christmas Trees, and three,twelve foot PVC Trees in 23 feet of water. There are many tree stumps that are 6-12" tall because of the way the lake was created- Trees were cut and stumps were left before flooding but they really do not seem to hold fish. It could be the very clear water.
There are plenty of 3-5" Bass around most docks along with 2-3"Bluegills.

The 6.3 PH was taken the first week of November of this year.

The first consultant I have heard from has asked for a fee of $1600 per month to manage our lake. I am thinking the College route would be more rewarding for all involved.

Thank You

Call Greg Grimes from your area and see what he says. The call will not cost you anything. Tell him PB sent you.

http://www.lakework.com

(770) 735-3523

If the panfish populations are currently at carrying capacity then adding more of the same species of fish is IMO fruitless. Addition of new species should only be done after a study shows that food resources of a niche are not being utilized. When new fish of existing species are added to a water body that is currently at carrying capacity, the newly stocked fish often die or do not grow well because the existing fish have the "upper hand" and out compete the new stockers.

I suspect that fish harvest has not been adequate in the last year and since young of year fish are readily evident, it is very likely the lake is at carrying capacity. Now all that needs to be done is manage or adjust the numbers in the various size classes to improve growth of the desired group of individuals.

In the instances when both existing and new stockers survive, all the fish that are utilizing the current food resources have to now share resources and growth overall of the species at that trophic feeding level suffers. Isn't the goal actively growing quality fish? If so why is adding more fish and all of them are now growing slower a benefit? A fishery professional should be able to determine is the lake is at carrying capacity, what trophic food sources are under utilized and if more fish or species are beneficial and how to best manage the current fishery with the current conditions of the lake without changing its current nutrient balance or budget. We are taking 10-16 anglers for 210 acres of water. What is the total angler hours on the lake per year (angling hrs/ac/yr)? This basic management fact should be known together with angler and harvest surveys. IMO this is a good basic place to start.

I still contend that for the size of the lake and the few actual users of the fishery, the annual harvest has not been adequate in terms of numbers and/or slot size harvest to achieve the goals and fully utilize or optimize the current lake's fishery potential. The addition of beneficial fish habitat to concentrate the fish and implement best fish harvest guidelines and techniques may be all that is needed to achieve the goals of the "lake association". The wise and experienced fishery professionals who are not just about making money should be able to achieve the goals of the HOA. Before deciding who to hire, I suggest that each applicant submit proposals of work to be performed and goals to be achieved and what the consequences are if those goals are not met and done within budget. If desired we can help evaluate the proposals for selecting the best approach. Be very cautious about spending a lot of money changing the ecology of the lake to benefit only 10-15 anglers. IMO seek advice of how to better manage the existing resources that you currently have. Even if it is educating anglers how to be better ecologically minded anglers and how to properly assist in the management of the fishery.

To echo Bill - in southern waters a newly stocked pond (open and empty of fish) reaches carrying capacity in 18 mths +- . What is needed is harvest mgt. If I was forced to make a wild guess I would say add feeders and adult BG and TShad and start taking out predators (LMB and all crappie and others). Add some lime and if possible put the lime where the feeders will throw food.

Hey I'm pleasantly surprised you are willing to listen and be educated. We get some folks that come on here that want us to tell them what they want to hear vs. what they should hear. Consequently they storm off in a huff and we never hear from them again.

Hello Foodeefish
I am in Newberry County about 1 1/2 hr. from you. Sounds like a beautiful set up down there in Aiken County. I fished a lot of ponds down there as a child visiting relatives. I'm a Carolina man but Clemson is the school to choose for your project. They specialize in this subject through the Clemson Extension Service. Your Extension Service agent in Aiken County should be able to help you. If not, contact Jeff Fellers at the Union County Extension office and he can put you on to someone to talk to. Jeff is very helpful. I know they have an excellent person that specializes in this matter, but I can not remember his name. Good luck with your project.

We work with HOAs across SC on similar issues- lots of water, little angling pressure, lets stock it to fix it. As many wise folks have stated here already, a complete assessment is needed before launching into a stocking program. And that assessment would be a fraction of the proposed cost. Would be happy to come speak to your board.

Wade

As an officer of a Citizens Group/ Lake assoc. board (6800 acre reservoir) I can say that this type of offer needs to be taken seriously. This is huge to have someone in the field come and discuss the reasons directly with the board OR the entire HOA at large.

Second opinions always good as well.

Test the water chemistry would be my starting point as well. This would be something that in my opinion should be done prior to engaging speakers.

Update,

Thanks again everyone for your open and honest feedback. I have reached out to Clemson University as well as the other contacts people have posted. I have been told that some of the contacts could not help me, but they each gave me another name or group to contact. I will update everyone as I hopefully get some assitance.
I truly am on this forum to listen and learn and I am hoping the HOA and the fishermen will listen to me as I attempt to educate them.

I think as I get more involved in the HOA by voluntering for the Dam Committe, the Fish Stocking Committee the Landscaping committee, I will gain more and more trust from the HOA Members. One thing I have against me is I am a Yankee but I think I get a pass, as I am not an aggressive Yankee and I truly care about our lake and it's surroundings.



I have begun to put together a folder of information and pictures of the fish we have in the lake, Suggested types of Structure that would benefit our fish, facts about how fish spawn, and a few facts about how we should not play Mother Nature by just dumping fish in our lake of liming willy nilly. I figured I could make a handout and leave it at the next meeting for people who would like one.

Thanks
Foodeefish

I would ask those HOA interested in the ecology and fisheries of the lake read the posts in this thread. IMO the posts are informative regarding the current approach or path and an improved path and wiser use of the monies designated for lake use.

It would take some time cutting/pasting, but maybe printing out the questions/suggestions in chronological order and having them to hand out would help as well. I've run into some people who still won't or can't use a computer.

Just wanted to update everyone after all the great advice I have been given.

I was not able to stop the stocking of the fish, but I was able to educate the HOA with all your feedback.


I have requested funds to be put aside for next year to:

1)Have the lake electro-shocked so we can see what we have in the lake.
2) Hire a professional give us guidance as to what needs to be done

I think I will get the funds so we will be on the right path in the near future.

We did however have the following fish stocked over a three day period in the last two weeks.

30,000 Bluegill 3-4"
15,000 Shellcracker- 3-4'
2,000 4-6" Bluegill
2,000 4-6" Shellcracker
10,000 Black Crappie
1,500 Largemouth Bass-2-4"
200,000 Fathead Minnows

Both the DNR and Clemson said that the lake needs much more cover so that the fry that does hatch, has a better chance of surviving and the fish have better places to hide. Now the rush is on to sink pallet pyramids, Hardwood limbs, Bamboo Condos, Christmas Trees, single pallets with 1/4" mesh for the Minnows to spawn and just about anything I can get my hands on for free.

It is going to be a busy, busy winter thanks to you all, but I am hoping it will be worth it.

Go get all the xmas trees you can after Christmas and look at the structure archive .

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92463#Post92463