Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Property Projects & Construction What did you do at your pond today?

I do and my customers do (they think). The Tilapia that I am getting stay alive to the mid 40's. They aren't very active at that temp, but I've verified that by pulling them out of the other fish holding tanks. I have put 1 pair in each just to keep the algae clean so I don't have to scrub them.

Snappers gotta eat too! LOL

TPWD jut raised rewards for reporting Alligator snapping turtle poachers. $2,000 a pop.

Your daughter made good conclusions from her observations. Had a pair of Canada geese hatch a brood on my favorite pond. It contains a very large common snapping turtle. Its big. The head is more than 6" broad and its shell is at least 24" long ... maybe longer. The goslings kept dwindling in number and when they got about 1/3 grown I noticed a carcass that was floating partially eaten. Then a few days later another. Afterwards, when only 4 of the gosling remained I observed the snapping turtle trying to prey on one. The parents were aggressively trying to deter him and it was effective enough to prevent a loss while I watched. I think he took his fair share of the goslings ... perhaps all that were lost.

My son fishes a lot with cut bait. He never has hooked the snapper as far as I know. If he has, it must have broke off quickly. He is plagued by sliders however which he has grown to hate for this behavior. A snapper may be difficult to catch but the sliders are brought in regularly. Here in TX and OK the alligator snapper is protected and I don't think they can be possessed or transported.

Mine are still swimming and not congregating in the shallows in Southern Ohio. I've turned off my aeration already when we hit high 20s over night for a few days, but we're back up to 50s-60s over night and 60s-70s during the day. I have 2 Pearls that area easy to spot when they surface, so those are the 2 I monitor. Tried to get them with some worms, but I couldn't keep the perch and specklebellies off the hook.

"It's hard to catch fish in my pond, because I catch too many fish in my pond!" That is certainly a better problem to have, than the opposite problem.

I don't have any tilapia, but the difficulty in catching them in the fall as the water temps cool seems to be a Pond Boss topic every year.

Do you feed your tilapia? If so, some people report catching them on Stubby Steve's lures where you use one of your pellets as bait.

Another option might be a lift net underneath your feeding ring if they are still coming to feed.

Another option might be a throw net if you ever see them in "range" in the warmer shallow water, AND they don't dart away when they see you make a big movement. It takes some skill to use those nets, but the people that are good with them can readily net fish.

That's been my plan, I have a 1.5'-2' cove for fish to seal the deal in that I figured the tilapia would migrate too when it gets cold enough, just hasn't happened yet. I didn't specifically feed the TP, but they did like being clean up crew. I only had 6 and have not seen any recruitment this year from them when I feed, so I'm not terribly worried about not getting to them before they die, I certainly got my $38 worth from their algae gorging alone. I still could stand to cull another 5-10 YP anyway, when I do that I might try to soften some feed and ball it up on a hook and see if I can add a few TP to fish taco night!

Those fish tacos look excellent!

I have a son that loves fish tacos. I guarantee he could knock off a dozen of your tacos, especially if they are YP tacos!

Water temp was 46 degrees about 18" down in my neighborhood pond today. Ambient temp was 59 degrees, sunny but windy.

Water was high from recent rain, but clear to maybe 2-3'.

After about 2 minutes, large adult GSH starting hitting feed. Many of them actually suspended for a few seconds before hitting the feed. Normally, they hit feed at high speed and eventually some were doing that.

Then I saw some bluegill getting in on it, and then some larger boils which may have been larger bluegill or HSB. Unfortunately, I couldn't see well enough with the heavy ripple on the surface.

Pretty joyous considering Dec. 2, and Western PA.

Sunil,

What feed product and size are you using that the GSH are taking it?

Lots of ponds on the forum where BG take the feed and fat BG make fat LMB.

I don't remember hearing of ponds where people were feeding to make fat GSH to make fat LMB!

I feed 3 sizes, Optimal Bluegill, Optimal Bass and Optimal Hand Throw.

The GSH hit the two smaller sizes.

My GSH don't seem to feel threatened by anything. Quite cocky, IMO.

I think you need to give your bass a little lecture then, and tell them to teach the GSH a little humility!

Someone needs to inform them: There are old GSH, and there are bold GSH, but there are no old bold GSH.

On very rare occasion during the summer, there will be a school of large GSH just suspended at the surface. Maybe 150 fish or so, and perhaps more if the school had depth. But when they sense my presence, they disperse. Aside from that, I never see the GSH suspended, or suspended while looking at a feed pellet.

So yesterday was pretty wild to see that.

There are between 10-15 CC and Blue Cats in the 5 lb + size, at least one HSB 6 lb + with ten HSB in 14" range, as well as LMB to maybe 2-3 lbs. So I can't understand the GSH acting all high and mighty like they own the joint.

Ambient temperature in Western PA was close to 60 degrees after being in the mid to high 50's for a few days.

My neighborhood pond's water temp was about 47 degrees a foot deep. Saw LMB and bluegill here and there slow cruising. I fed and bluegill and GSH came to the feed without much delay at all. I then saw some larger boils but am not sure what they were.

At my neighbor, Lee's pond, water temps were 43 degrees or so a foot deep. Saw no fish taking any feed but was catching Yellow Perch on nightcrawlers fairly easily.

Merry Christmas!!!

Nice that the YP were biting!

We had turkey and ham at Christmas dinner. I suspect if I was capable of supplying YP, then that might be the first empty serving plate.

Hope everyone had a good Christmas!

I'm not sure what my water temperature is, but I still have plenty of takers when I feed.

Mine finally pretty much quit taking feed, they did hang in there till the middle of December. which is a month and a half later then usual. don't know what water temps are either.
I am wanting to go out there and see if I can catch a YP, I stocked some two yrs ago but haven't seen or caught one since, but also don't know how, have never fished for one, people say to use worms and a bobber but that doesn't work in my pond during warmer months, cant keep the damn BG off the hook, maybe now they wont bother me as much.

gehajake - For your YP try some minnows either fresh or dead frozen on a tiny jig fished vertical or under a small bobber just big enough to float the bait. Don't over size the bobber for cold water catching. 1"-1.25" BG will also work to catch the YP; set a minnow trap to catch those. Try a slip bobber with bait near the bottom - 2 - 3 ft off bottom. No bites try making a little splashing noise near where you are fishing. YP and most fish are inquisitive and should soon show up after the mild splashing.

Looked over the calm waters and the sunlight limning the tree tops, then slowly hauled personal stuff out of the Redneck Palace to the car. So many good memories, so sad to think of it gone. I've even dreamed about it several times.

Memories worth making, Frank. Changes like this are difficult but your experience is for always and that can't be taken away. Just hope your presence here is something that doesn't change. I always look forward reading your posts.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow."

-- W.S.

anth, from what you've shared about your property and the current aspects of your life, you probably made the 100% right decision to sell at this time.

Both of my parents passed away about a year ago. Their estate is multi-faceted, but we've spent some of the most time working with residential and commercial real estate. Don't get me wrong, we are absolutely appreciative of all of it, but we decided to convert the properties to liquidity for trust purposes. If you knew, as you said, that your kids were not really interested in taking the property on, you made the right call, IMO.

Probably no one will ever really know the intricacies of the pond as intimately as you do, but the property will be immensely valued by those who bought the place. I'm certain you got a good price.

I whole heartedly agree with Sunil and jpsdad.

I know that my time is coming. Due to arthritis, laziness, sloth and low character, taking care of my place is getting tougher. Im 80 now and can’t do it right anymore. Our perennial drought hasn’t helped my outlook. Lots of money involved for 133 acres of junk land. All trees and rocks that takes a a 4 wheeler to get around on. Been paid off for a long time. The realtors call it recreational property but I call it my get away from town sanity place. None of the kids or grandkids appear interested in it.

Son in law says that when the realtors show up, they may as well call the undertaker. He may be right.

Well, maybe next year.

Look on the positive side, Dave; Your sanity place has failed you miserably and having no lofty traits of character has allowed you to have a fun-filled life. Your worthless property has kept you occupied and out of prison. Might as well keep it until it becomes someone else's problem.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL.