Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Summer fishing is over!

I kind of wonder what the rest of the country is experiencing.

For us, it seems that bluegill and catfish season is over until next spring. My water was at 58 degrees earlier this evening, even after several beautiful sunny days. Nothing has been feeding on pellets for at least the last week.

I tried fishing for about two hours yesterday. I got one nice 10-inch bluegill, one 8-inch bluegill, and I caught and released several bass ranging from 6-14 inches. The bluegill were almost colorless, and very cold to the touch. They quickly changed color once they were in the basket.

This little 10-inch guy was mostly white and pink when I pulled him out. He quickly turned to the colors in the photo.





Even though they aren't feeding on pellets, they seem to be eating fairly well. I couldn't tell what was in their stomachs, but it appeared to be bugs. Their stomachs and intestines were packed.

Today, I caught just one bluegill and several small bass ranging from about 5 to 8 inches.

Oh well, next weekend I should be able to put the winter trout into the pond. That will be three weeks earlier than last year.

The woolly worms are pretty furry and fat this year.

Ken thanks for starting this thread. I was thinking the same thing. Its a good time to do a forum wide survey of what is occurring at the ponds as the seasons change. Here is mine.

Water temps at surface is 70 F and dropping. Water is at about 6 acres out of 12 acre total capacity in this pond. BG and FH are eating pellets like crazy in this pond under renovation. The BG have increased in size from 2-4 inches in May to 4-7 inches now with an entire new size class of 1-2 inch fish. Can't get a visible plankton bloom in this pond yet (water to cool now I think). Visibility is 30 inches and water has a brown tint.

In the other 2 ponds (both full) the BG are barely eating pellets. They seem well fed and active. Visibility has increased to 30 inches with the cooling water and has a brown tint. In the bigger of the ponds the LMB are doing well but the BG seem a little thin possibly from the addition of TShad in March of 07. TShad have established well even with the existing LMB population.

Who's next ?

Crappie Season is ON and will be hit and miss (daily weather depending) all the way until mid November!

Water temps hovering around 65 degrees in Central Illinois

Fish still feeding heavy at the feeders!

My pond is about 10" below full pool. It's the usual 12" visibility, and a clear tan clay-color. Since the weather turned a tad cooler ~2 weeks ago, the BG began to bite and feed better, but have recently gotten lockjaw. The bass are feeding well, and not hard to catch, so maybe they are spooking the BG away from the feeding area.

Dip netting reveals no tadpole or crawfish; fair amounts of shrimp and BG YOY, and adequate insect nymphs. This time last year, tadpoles were super-abundant. It's a mystery what triggers the boom and bust years. Something is different, but I'm not sharp enough to pick up on it.

BG classes are now very diverse in size. There are many in all lengths from 1/2" up to 8".

I'm starting to catch an occasional BC, and it makes me look forward to late Winter crappie and LMB jigging on those occasional warm, clear winter days we have in Louisiana.

I guess my pond will clear up next year, and I will probably miss the carefree past 2 years. I'll have to watch temperature, fertility, plankton bloom, FA, weeds... all those things that can bite you or become a nuisance. I guess the good news is, clearing water will make my skinny-ish BG grow fatter, and my chubby LMB trim down a little.

I haven't checked my water temps but we've had frost in the morning two mornings in a row now. The first frost was pretty heavy with frost even on the house roofs.

Water temps at surface and 3' down was 61F at my pond today.

Bluegill were feeding as well as HSB and some other random fishies like YP and bullies.

The bluegill materialized instantly when the pellets hit the water, but all the other fish took their time in getting to the pellets.

Water temps are getting to the mid-60's at the surface on the many sunny afternoons we are having. BG and Gambusia feeding OK, CC and LMB feeding aggressively (LMB VERY aggressively). Fishing is pretty good; haven't targeted bass, but I suspect bass fishing would be really good.

I am still feeding FH fry but the adults have gone deep it seems. We have had the same frosts Cecil speaks of and although a week ago I could find minnows at night with a light, they are now absent after the sun goes down. Daytime finds the shallows teaming with fry bathing in the sun. The same spots that held schools of eager to feed adult FH's a week ago now show bare bottomscape when I look at them. The rains we have had and cold nights probably forced them to dwell on the bottom until spring now. I don't have any other fish inthere yet so that is my report. I can see snails and various insect life on the bottom, so my new residents should have plenty to forage on next spring.

BG and CC are still feeding on pellets although they have slowed down considerably. Instead of 5-8 CC at feeding time there are only 3.

LMB fishing has slowed considerably. The LMB are healthy all the ones I have caught have been 90-100% Wr.

Water is an olive brown color. It went from bright green to this olive brown color within about 3 weeks. Water clarity has also increased.

Surface water temp Saturday was 59.3 around 9AM and 60.5 around 5PM. Fishing for Bass is still good. I caught a 4lb LMB on a buzz bait in 4 feet of water. Most LMB were caught in deeper water; 8-12 feet fishing along the bottom. All of these fish were fat and probably bulking up for another long winter.

I wish I knew my ponds condition. I haven't been able to check on it since July. I sure hope the last alum treatment was permanent and offset at least one big run-off event that no doubt added more clay. The wife is still getting better, so MAYBE we can make the 3 hour drive next weekend to see it, IF we can get through the grass that hasn't been mowed in over 3 months......

Good luck Rex and keep us posted about the alum treatment. I sent you a PM regarding the talapia. If I can be of anymore assistance please feel free to contact me.

I checked water temps today in my ponds. High 50's in all.

I appreciate it Cecil!

I get quite a few inquiries asking for the Tilapia fry to grow out over the winter. I wanted to make sure I was ok to ship them. I'm thinking I will start by buying a banner ad at the top of the forum page.

I suppose one could grow them out over the winter in an aquarium and stock them in their ponds when temps got high enough? If I had a need for them I would be up for it.

Water temp at 64 today. Gills and bass still feeding heavily. Its neat watching all the bass feeding as I raised 100 of them in a tote all last winter in my basement. On vacation this week and next and really enjoying beautiful fall weather, the pond and now the cabin.

Yep the weather can be beautiful this time of year can't it? Unfortunately it can be the calm before the storm so to speak before temps really start to plummet next month!

Surface temp was 67 this morning.All fish are slow in the AM but still feeding normally in the evening.

I was fortunate to get a fantastic autumn reprieve this evening. The weather warmed today, a lot of bugs fell on the water, and the fish were going crazy.

I got two 10-1/4 inch BG this evening -- a male and a female, both on a cheap Wal-Mart fly.

Here is the girl fish:

That is a great looking fish !!!

Cat,

You've got some dandies!

That thing is a bug-eyed toad.

And I mean that in a good way.

nice fish ken. yer hard work is paying dividends.