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Got a very pleasant surprise today from Ethan: Alkalinity at my BOW measured 74! Natural level in 20s, after liming 40s best previous levels. No liming needed this year, and my fish are less stressed now.

Put in a double truckload ag lime, 20 tons, back in fall 2021. Guess that did the trick, at least for several years!


7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




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Originally Posted by FireIsHot
Mark, I talked to Ethan yesterday. I got to Overton's about 5 minutes after they opened, and I was already 6th in line. Springtime is here, so Todd and his staff were hustling.

Al I texted with Ethan today. He said they are so busy they have added a couple new delivery staff. One of them "Tye" is delivering my order Wed.



Fishing has never been about the fish....

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Originally Posted by Pat Williamson
Zep is the pix of the bg a common bg female? I have some that look identical. But I have a lot of mutts also

Pat I'm not sure. Pretty BG for sure.


Fishing has never been about the fish....

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Better not swim around with skin tags or moles that look kinda like pellets! eek


7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




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Originally Posted by Pat Williamson
...Zep is the pix of the bg a common bg female? I have some that look identical. But I have a lot of mutts also

Pat, I have the same markings on some of my female CNBG. The breast color seems to brighten and spread approximately 7 days before they spawn. Of course that's up here, so I don't know what they do in central TX.


AL

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Noticed a couple days ago that some sort of varmint was chewing on the cattail sprouts around my pond.

Yesterday afternoon I noticed an odd wake on the water... sure enough it was a young muskrat.

Went inside and grabbed Mr. Ruger. Muskrat invader is now enjoying muskrat valhalla.

The baby grass is taking off on the pond dam where I did some landscaping the other week.
It's been so dry here I've been using the lawn sprinkler on it. Most years we're drowning in April. Not this time.

I'm not a big fan of cattails, but they serve as an excellent MEWS (Muskrat Early Warning System).

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Been trying for a few days to catch a HSB to throw on the smoker but haven't had any luck until yesterday.

I don't know if they've wised up to my hand throw pellet wrapped in stocking scrap trick, or if I'm so rusty I've
just been failing to execute (the more likely explanation).

After missing three hook-up attempts yesterday I changed tactics. Grabbed a 3"-ish BG from the cage, shoved
a hook up his nose, clipped tail and dorsal fins, then tossed him out for a swim. Missed the first two times they
got after him, but the third time was the charm. I let him (actually her) run off with it and just reeled down tight
rather than going for a big hook set.

19.75" 4.5lb. Just a touch under 110% on the relative weight chart. Fish was loaded with roe and had a semi-fresh
crayfish in its stomach. We all know these HSB are pelagic by nature, but don't think for a minute that they won't
eat anything they can catch. This was the 4th HSB that I've harvested from my pond. The first three also had
crayfish in their guts.

[Linked Image from hosting.photobucket.com]

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As far as I can tell, bass look at crayfish the exact same way I look at a grilled lobster tail with a side of clarified butter!

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Augie,

What was the size and date of the HSB that you stocked, such that they are now 4.5#?

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Originally Posted by Augie
Noticed a couple days ago that some sort of varmint was chewing on the cattail sprouts around my pond.

Yesterday afternoon I noticed an odd wake on the water... sure enough it was a young muskrat.

Went inside and grabbed Mr. Ruger. Muskrat invader is now enjoying muskrat valhalla.

The baby grass is taking off on the pond dam where I did some landscaping the other week.
It's been so dry here I've been using the lawn sprinkler on it. Most years we're drowning in April. Not this time.

I'm not a big fan of cattails, but they serve as an excellent MEWS (Muskrat Early Warning System).

If there is any good side to muskrats, it is the fact that they love cat tail roots, they wont just eat the greens,, they dig up the roots and eat them.


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HSB absolutely blasted Handthrown Optimal fish food chunks, a true delight to watch. LMB like Handthrown, too, but had a hard time getting there before the HSB. They were so eager that they often would knock the chunk airborne a foot or two away, then turn & engulf it. So glad that George Glazener pushed for HSB in ponds, despite opposition from the "experts" of the time. I never met George, but am thankful for him.


7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




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I stocked the HSB September of 2020. They were advertised as 6"-8". They've eaten a lot of Optimal since then.

And I forgot to mention the YP I caught during that session. I was so tickled to catch a big one that I forgot to measure and photo.
The BG that caught the HSB I butchered also caught the biggest YP that I've ever touched. She was in the 16" range and spawned
out. Likely would have been a new Misery state record if I'd caught her pre-spawn. I don't know how she got that BG in her mouth.
If I hadn't clipped the dorsal fin on the BG before I tossed it in the water I probably would have had to butcher the YP too. It was all
I could do to get the BG turned around in her mouth so I could pull it out without injuring her. Fortunately the BG was so big that the
hook never found its way into the YP's flesh. The BG was so big she couldn't spit it out while I was reeling her in.

So maybe now I've learned the secret to catching YP in the midst of all the aggressive BG.

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Originally Posted by Augie
Fortunately the BG was so big that the
hook never found its way into the YP's flesh. The BG was so big she couldn't spit it out while I was reeling her in.

So maybe now I've learned the secret to catching YP in the midst of all the aggressive BG.

Good job Augie on that great pond report.

I have heard of guys using barbless hooks, but catching fish using "hookless" hooks is far beyond my range of fishing skills! grin

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Went to work at the farm yesterday. The multiple forecast rains last week were mostly a bust - the creek is still barely trickling.

However, the beaver used that opportunity to get a small dam started. He has backed up some water and I could see gams of all sizes, so I know they have spawned.

A little water has covered some of the sandbars and I see the GSF are making beds in the sand.

Finally, as I was loading up my truck, I saw movement down in the creek, and froze to see if I could catch the beaver in action. I was quite surprised to see that it was a wood duck pair working their way up the creek bottom!

I have so many predators at the farm, that I cannot imagine they can nest in a tree cavity and have the babies survive. However, I am rooting for them to win their family battle against "nature"!

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Tested some water

Chainsaw,weed razor and long raked for several hours.

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Bald eagle 🦅 sightings. BIG HSB dominate feeders, aggressive fish and ferocious fighters. Will have to stop angling for them soon due to heat. Caught several around 8, lost a giant that couldn't be stopped.

Continue woes with feeders breaking down. I now have 6 feeders on site, but only 2 work. Given how expensive they are, this doesn't make me happy.

Last edited by anthropic; 05/08/23 12:45 AM.

7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




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Did a feeding yesterday at the neighborhood pond. The Golden Shiner Brigade seems to be on vacation right now and not visible.

Plenty of bluegill feeding along with some HSB, CC, BC, and a random YP.

My LMB don't seem to be hitting feed anymore, or at least at greatly reduced rates.

No real vegetation in the pond, so the FA is raging.


QUESTION: I did see several LMB that were 2-2.5" long. Could these LMB be from the 2022 spawn? I would not think they could possibly be 2023 YOY.


Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:"
"She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."

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Sunil - Those 2"-2.5" LMB in early May in PA were 2022 year class. Your LMB 2023 year class of LMB even in the BEST food availability will not be 2" until Jul- Aug.


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Thanks, Bill. That's what I was thinking, but it also makes me think that those guys had horrible growth.


Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:"
"She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."

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Originally Posted by anthropic
Continue woes with feeders breaking down. I now have 6 feeders on site, but only 2 work. Given how expensive they are, this doesn't make me happy.

I frequently click the "Like" button on Pond Boss, because there are so many enjoyable and/or informative posts that I read.

l looked to click the "Bummer" button for your post, but I couldn't find that button!

I assume your expensive feeders are reasonably easy to repair. However, as with most Pond Boss posts, the hard part is correctly identifying the problem.

If you can identify the problems, I have seen some of the Pond Boss experts give very specific repair advice on the forum.

Good luck getting your feeders back to 100%.

P.S. Did you move some BG brood stock up to your forage pond? That should provide some good feed later this year!

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Originally Posted by anthropic
Bald eagle 🦅 sightings. BIG HSB dominate feeders, aggressive fish and ferocious fighters. Will have to stop angling for them soon due to heat. Caught several around 8, lost a giant that couldn't be stopped.

Continue woes with feeders breaking down. I now have 6 feeders on site, but only 2 work. Given how expensive they are, this doesn't make me happy.


That sucks on the feeders. I wonder why they are giving you problems? If it helps any, here's what I do. I give them a good cleaning every Spring, I take them apart and scrape out any powdered food that is stuck to them, double check the connections, remove any spider webs, wash off the solar charger from any accumulated tree sap/dust/pollen and double check the spin plate to bottom of the hopper gap to make sure it's correct for the size feed that I'm throwing.

I am noticing that if I have the gap too big, the feed will pile up in the transfer port before it hits the air blower. I will cut back on the feed time but bump up the frequency if that happens, or adjust the spin plate up a hair.


www.hoosierpondpros.com


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3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).
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If the feeder has a sight window or edges, they sometimes Leak during a rain. That can cause feed to clump up. Then when that clump works it’s way down to the spinner, it can hang up and burnout the motor.

I carefully clean any possible leak areas and caulk them

Last edited by Dave Davidson1; 05/08/23 07:45 PM.

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
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Originally Posted by Dave Davidson1
If the feeder has a sight window or edges, they sometimes Leak during a rain. That can cause feed to clump up. Then when that clump works it’s way down to the spinner, it can hang up and burnout the motor.

I carefully clean any possible leak areas and caulk them


I have a 25 yr old sweeney feeder that a friend gave me, I had to do some updates to it but it performs pretty well still, I did have to redo the sight glass, and a couple other orifices that had the seals dry out over the years. those moisture clumps created my biggest problems when they turn loose and either block off the feed dispenser or burn up a drive motor. I know this site mostly leans toward TH feeders for sponsor reasons, and that's great, am planning on getting one, but I have had good luck with this one so far, exceptional cust service for this 25 yr old feeder.


All the really good ideas I've ever had came to me while I was milking a cow.
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Better news from the feeder front: We were able to unstop one of them & restore function (at least for now). Also assembled & deployed another new feeder, so have 4 working. I've always used TH, but may want to check out Sweeney as well.

HSB reign supreme at my place, dominate feeding & fishing. We caught several in the 8 lb range, lost a real biggun that basically just took off & spooled the reel. But last evening my buddy hooked a monster that did NOT escape, set a new pond record. We didn't weigh it due to anxiety about taking it out of the water, but I think a 12! True highlight of his visit, perhaps the largest freshwater fish he's ever caught. Topwater trout imitator did the trick.

One tidbit: Unlike LMB, HSB don't head for cover when hooked. Almost every time, they take off for open water. Based on my admittedly limited experience, HSB are much less cover/structure oriented than LMB. I notice the same thing when tossing out big chunks of fish food.

Speaking of caulking, what kind is best for keeping out driving rain?


7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




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Originally Posted by esshup
Originally Posted by anthropic
Bald eagle 🦅 sightings. BIG HSB dominate feeders, aggressive fish and ferocious fighters. Will have to stop angling for them soon due to heat. Caught several around 8, lost a giant that couldn't be stopped.

Continue woes with feeders breaking down. I now have 6 feeders on site, but only 2 work. Given how expensive they are, this doesn't make me happy.


That sucks on the feeders. I wonder why they are giving you problems? If it helps any, here's what I do. I give them a good cleaning every Spring, I take them apart and scrape out any powdered food that is stuck to them, double check the connections, remove any spider webs, wash off the solar charger from any accumulated tree sap/dust/pollen and double check the spin plate to bottom of the hopper gap to make sure it's correct for the size feed that I'm throwing.

I am noticing that if I have the gap too big, the feed will pile up in the transfer port before it hits the air blower. I will cut back on the feed time but bump up the frequency if that happens, or adjust the spin plate up a hair.

Good info. Thanks!


7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




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