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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190 |
This is called, Christa's cove (my wife).  Brought up heavy equipment to finish a couple of jobs and presto, 4 inches of rain in 3 days. Pretty much stalled the work and now I have to pump out water from the other ponds to finish the work. Tough going but pressing on look at catfish pond 
Last edited by kurt; 10/23/12 03:29 PM.
13 acres, 5 ponds 1 still working FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch living the dream  Can't have everything...where would you put it?
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 24
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 24 |
Since you now have minnows in the pond, are you going to change your signature? This was a long journey for you and a great read for me. Glad to see your dream is getting closer.
David
David
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190 |
This day has been long coming and slow to arrive. It is time to update a few pictures and change my name. I had Troy Lee Excavating come back out and finish a few projects that I should have done last year but lack of knowledge and just being a plain old moron, I failed to do them the first time. We raised the swimming hole bank by 1 foot and thickened the bank. Shooting elevations (hey, I did it this time) water will hit the spots I need.  Leveling area around pond and mining clay for the pond.  New and improved swimming hole with catfish pond in background. Blue swimming pool in far back of swimming hole, that area will become a spawning area for the smallmouth.  Thanks go to Troy Lee and his crew for the work and for allowing me to run some of the equipment. I like the roller. If anyone in the northern illinois or southern wisconsin wants a pond and wants it right, Troy has my recommendation. 
13 acres, 5 ponds 1 still working FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch living the dream  Can't have everything...where would you put it?
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Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 196
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Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 196 |
For sure you deserve the name change to whatever you want. I read in fascination the journey,one I am gald I did not have to make. I think every perspective pond builder should read your journey and maybe understand why all the PB'ers, (you too),recommend having a quality, knowledgable, and last but not least, pond builder 1st, not just a dirt mover. Good luck in the future as well as finding work. I will also be praying for you, my fellow PB'er.
Life is more fun with a pole in your hand.
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190 |
It is november 2012, almost 3 years in construction and another season is ending and giving way to winter. I have 1 or 2 more trips up to finish a couple more projects. This is my home away from home. Throw a couple of tarps over the wood and viola, a tent. Beats sleeping in the cabin of a skidloader like last year.  Picture of the "new" swimming hole with forage in front, frog pond to right and catfish pond in back.  There were several large cloudsd of minnows moving around. never seen this before but assuming they are fatheads.  This is what the dream means to me, hoping this is my family and I just hanging out with a line in the water. 
13 acres, 5 ponds 1 still working FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch living the dream  Can't have everything...where would you put it?
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,226 Likes: 44
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,226 Likes: 44 |
Wow, very nice! That is going to be a great place to hang out and wander. I am so happy for you on getting this far, too bad it was a bumpy road. Next up: Job. Lets hope the new job doesn't keep you from this wonderful spot.
-Mark
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 294
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 294 |
I have to say I was impressed with your sheer determination and congratulate you.You kept at it when many would have thrown in the towel.I really think and hope you will get a thousand times more pleasure from your project then the pain you endured to make it this far.
Good luck on the rest of your journey and thank you for sharing this.
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190 |
Well, once again the time has arrived to shutdown the ponds for winter. at least this year I am shutting down ponds and not just holes in the ground. I still have a few projects to finish out over the next few weeks but nothing major until the spring. Thanks again to all the help from this site on the ponds, fish, buildings, ect...Let me get in touch with my sensitive side for moment...I know I could never have gotten this far without the help from you all. My wife likes the ponds enough to have the Christmas card be pictures of the ponds and the kids at the ponds. Merry Christmas and Peace on Earth from the Pedersens' ponds. forage pond with fatheads  Swimming hole with fatheads and shiners (trout during the winter)  Frog Ponds a few fatheads  Fishing hole with Fatheads, Shiners and CC (SMB and WE in spring)  Pedersens' Ponds  Have a great holiday and see you all soon.
13 acres, 5 ponds 1 still working FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch living the dream  Can't have everything...where would you put it?
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 10
Fingerling
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Fingerling
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 10 |
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190 |
Hey everyone, Hope everyone is good and starting the year off better. If you remember last December 2011 I was let go by work so starting last year was a struggle. Still looking for full-time work but I cobbled enough part-time work to pay the bills and as Homer says, "I still am able to crame 8 hours of television into the day". just kidding. Hopefully this year is better, counting the blessing that we have been given. I am not much of a builder, carpenter etc. Measure once cut 6 times is my motto. It is a very expensive motto. I have been trying to keep busy during the winter and plan ahead for the ponds. Smallmouth and walleye are ordered and I am building sheds and living spaces at home in modules. This will make it easier to transport since we only have a small van. Building rafters and roof for the sheds.  building walls and frames for the sheds  Deck modules 3 ft by 3 ft. Will arrange in a large square with fire pit in the middle.  I do have to tell 1 quick story. My family and I were in Kentucky visiting my sister and her family. her husband is a forest ranger in Paduka. Anyway, I always bore him with stories of the pond and was telling how a couple of ducks came last Novemember for the day to rest then tke off again. I told him I need to start building bird houses, wood duck houses etc...He says that I should look for a bood or somethign that lists different houses, sizes, hole sizes, location and height sizes. As he is telling me this while we are watching my nephew (his son) play 8th grade basketball game, I am nodding my head while looking through my Pond Boss magazine. Those of you who subscribe already know the end of the story. Old Bob and his crew got me again. Just when I start to doubt Pond Boss it comes and kicks me. I flip the page to the article by Mel "Bird Man" and the article has a grid listing all the necessary info for a variety of bird houses. Thank you guys. I have finished about 15 houses and as soon as I can get to the land, I will start putting them up. Have a great February and come March back to the ponds to work.
13 acres, 5 ponds 1 still working FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch living the dream  Can't have everything...where would you put it?
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 29,031 Likes: 1013
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent  Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent  Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 29,031 Likes: 1013 |
People who don't get the magazine don't realize the amount of information that they are missing, not only for the ponds, but for the surrounding land.
Keep up with the updates. You are plugging along nicely!
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 910
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 910 |
You have done a really good job on your woodworking projects. This is coming from an old shop teacher. One hint that may save you some work in the future. On the deck sections, you need to put a ledger strip under the deck top that you screwed into the ends. Just rip a salt treated board into 3 equal widths and secure inside the sections. Salt treated is known for cracking and if the board slides down, it is a bugger to pull back up. I loved your project and hope you the best in the future.
Two ponds, 13 and 15 acres on the Mattaponi River.
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190 |
If I did this right you should be able click the link and see a satelite picture of my land with a couple of the ponds built. The picture is 2 years old so it only shows the main pond (not yet finished), catfish pond 9now finished), and swimming hole (now finished). It does show the paths and road built I havew only gotten up once because winter and rain have not left. We received more snow today, april 12. I am hoping to go monday for a couple of days. satellite of land at purchase http://mapq.st/14l9JWCsatellite after 1.5 years http://binged.it/XyDj5z.satellite after 2.5 years show fishing hole full with swimming hole, forage pond and frog ponds http://goo.gl/maps/HrXIG
Last edited by kurt; 04/13/13 03:34 PM.
13 acres, 5 ponds 1 still working FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch living the dream  Can't have everything...where would you put it?
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190 |
I haven't logged on for awhile. Hope everyone is good. I need to catch up with all the activity. Last week after 3 long years, finally stocked smallmouth bass and walleye to the fishing pond. The minnows are everywhere so the little predators should have plenty to eat and get fat. Just a couple of pictures to show progress so fat this spring, cleaning out weeds, planting, stocking and building. this shows the before of the ponds with weeds and stuff  after  background you can see some of the birdhouses up thanks to mel  just another overview  one more day of raking weeds, rip rap then i start on the shed. Base is built and locked into place, now time to put up the walls. see you,
13 acres, 5 ponds 1 still working FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch living the dream  Can't have everything...where would you put it?
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 910
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 910 |
Very nice Kurt, hope everything turns out good for you in the future.
Two ponds, 13 and 15 acres on the Mattaponi River.
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190 |
Now being under-employed for over a year, I have had time to self-reflect and learn about myself and my inner characteristics. I am lazy, cheap and an idiot. Of course all of you realized that from my first posts but again, being an idiot it took me longer to see it. Now that I know and accept who I am, I am at peace with the world and can build and design my pond and surroundings to suit me. The fish pond is narrow and long so no boat is needed to fish (save money - cheap). Piers were built to extend over the water (no docks, floating or removal needed - lazy) captain's chair can be positioned off of pier for wildlife watching or installed onto pier for fishing. It even swivels (idiot)     In my free time at home building my son a tree house/club house though my wife tends to call it my room. Not sure what she means - idiot. I decided I needed a small pond at the house so I dug this out by hand, well I occassionally used a shovel. It is 15 feet by 10 feet 4 feet deep with 2 man-made streams re-circulating the water from the 150 gallon stock tank. I will put in a liner and hopefully raise hybrid bluegills for dinner. Small ones in the 150 gallon stock tank, larger in the pond. I figure in the fall, pull out the larger ones, move small to pond and re-stock stock tank.  chicken coop and run in the back. Let's just say my wife is a very forgiving.
13 acres, 5 ponds 1 still working FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch living the dream  Can't have everything...where would you put it?
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 29,031 Likes: 1013
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent  Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent  Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 29,031 Likes: 1013 |
Hey, I think those projects came out very good! I like the lawn chair on a swivel. Does it work pretty well?
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,286 Likes: 333
Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,286 Likes: 333 |
Kurt, the idiot club isn't all that small. Welcome to the club.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP Grandpa
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190 |
Just glad to be finally accepted.
13 acres, 5 ponds 1 still working FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch living the dream  Can't have everything...where would you put it?
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190 |
Now that I am officially a member of the idiot club, thanks Dave for the nomination, let me share with you my latest accomplishment.
Last week, I cut the grass at the ponds. I know what your thinking but it has been 3 years of building, moving, rebuilding ponds and banks. To actually cut the grass is to move into a new phase. I cut a path around several ponds, the lawn near the shed and around the road. The weeds were about 3 feet high so it took a while but the lawnmower was my dad's which I received when he passed 8 years ago. It has been 6 years since the last time I used it but it fired up and ran great. I need to sharpen the blades.
I know it sounds crazy but it felt good to move in a new direction.
Last edited by kurt; 07/02/13 12:56 PM.
13 acres, 5 ponds 1 still working FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch living the dream  Can't have everything...where would you put it?
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190 |
Summer is rushing past faster than I can imagine. Still alot of work to do but making some head way. Shed is almost done. Need to fill seams, paint and then finish deck. The cast iron caldron is perfect for a fire or to cook. When it heats up, it stays hot. Need to get back the weeds a bit but that maybe a 'next year' job.   On a non pond note, treehouse is almost done. need to add metal roof, stain and finish rope rails for bridge. It has been a little more work than expected but my son likes so enough said.
13 acres, 5 ponds 1 still working FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch living the dream  Can't have everything...where would you put it?
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190 |
Summer is dying out but before a few more days of 90 plus heat. The shed is almost done and the deck with awning complete.  Just a few more projects, cut down weeds, clean aerator for winter use, move minnows from forage to fishing hole, cut firewood and lay a little more rip rap. I know this sounds crazy but I have not even gone fishing yet so the date is set to take the kids next weekend. I watch bass pound the surface last week chasing minnows. pretty cool!!
13 acres, 5 ponds 1 still working FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch living the dream  Can't have everything...where would you put it?
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 32
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 32 |
Congrat's Kurt!! What a demonstration of perseverance. You'll have plenty of stories to tell. Enjoy your dream.
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,666 Likes: 355
Moderator Hall of Fame 2014  Lunker
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Moderator Hall of Fame 2014  Lunker
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,666 Likes: 355 |
Nice work. Let the dream roll on !
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 190 |
Dont tell the kids but I snuck off 2 days ago while finishing the deck and took 20 minutes to fish. Using an ultr lite rod/reek, 10 casts, 1 smallmouth 10 inches and 1 walleye 12 inches. Not bad considering we stocked the SMB at 4-6 inch and the WE at 6-8 inches in the spring of this year. They have been eating good.
Now I need to take the kids fishing. My son has never caught a fish before and my daughter just a couple of 4 inch bluegills.
13 acres, 5 ponds 1 still working FHM, Shiners, CC, SMB, WE, Yellow Perch living the dream  Can't have everything...where would you put it?
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Moderated by Bill Cody, Bruce Condello, catmandoo, Chris Steelman, Dave Davidson1, esshup, ewest, FireIsHot, Omaha, Sunil, teehjaeh57
Koi
by PAfarmPondPGH69, October 22
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