Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Doing it backwards

Thanks bob for your visit a few weeks ago. Hello everyone, i am a ltl (long time lurker). Just a quick story. Mike Otto (a fine human being) dug my pond (almost 2 acres) 3 years ago. It is a masterpiece. We flooded a small baitfish pond that had been there for a long time. So when it filled up in only two months,thanks to two huge rains, i stocked 200 6" hsb, 100 lbs cc, about 15-20 adult lmb, 1000 small coppernose and lots of fatheads and shiners. WOW. Now i do know better than this. I know all about building the food chain, but i just knew that between the old pond and all of the new forage, it would be fine. I did not count on one thing. HSB ARE NOT FROM THIS PLANET!
They ate everything in sight. In about 3 months i could no longer see any forage around the edges. They were also feeding strong twice daily at the feeder. We have had a strong drought for 2 years with water below 5 ft. All during this time i have added huge ammounts of large shiners and cut off there dry feed. The water level is now up to normal, and the feeder is back on. There weight is now between 3-4 pounds, and they are a blast to catch. Adding 50 lbs shiners again this weekend. We will see how far that i can push this thing until something gives. Thanks everyone for a great site. Bob, i will see you in Arlington in march.

what a story Big Don....and welcome to the forum. would love to see a pic of yer pond (keepin in mind the pixel police if possible...thanks)

That's a pretty strong entrance for a first post, Big Don. Your journey was well guarded, both the story and by the construction manager.
I'm with DIED...give us some pix of an Otto masterpiece. I hear alot about Mike, both on the forum and in the mag, but I can't ever remember seeing him actually doing some work. Some evidence there might be unique.
Welcome, sir.

Welcome Big Don, your story is welcome here. I always stress for new pond owners to let their forage base grow a full season before introducing predators, that meets some resistance. From now on, I'll add HSB into my reasoning, I don't think they let anything overpopulate...even crappie.

As for Bob, word has it he's hand delivering Pond Boss issues, it's kind of like a grown man's Santa Claus...I keep looking out the door, Is he comming ???

Thanks. I will try to post some pics of the pond in the future. I do think that HSBs could be used to control overpopulation of crappie in small waters.

Just for you B'ski.

A big trackhoe and a smile.

Big Don, welcome to the PB forum - dificult to believe that you could lurk this long with so great a story to tell.

I made the same mistake that you made by stocking 10 adult LMB after stocking recommended numbers of forage fish, some five yeas ago.

I soon realized my mistake and consulted with Bob Lusk about solving my problem. He told me to stock 7 adult CNBG for each adult LMB.
It worked, and now have a fantastic populaton of large and healthy CNBG.

By the way, Todd Overton currently is growing out CNBG to adult size - you might want to check with him.

Todd also saved my HSB program from LMB predation by growing out adult size HSB, which are doing quite well.
HSB are fantastic sport fish aren't they?

Good luck and thanks for your story.
George Glazener

Thanks george. Todd has helped me so much over the last few years. He is about the nicest guy that you could meet. I forgot to mention that we stocked tilapia in june 05. A few got quite large before winter die off. I am sure the HSBs got there share. Todd is bringing adult coppernose and redear in a few weeks as well as plenty of forage. We are now starting to harvest some fish to eat and i feel that by summer the big pond will be in check. I have a smaller old pond that has a little of everything in it. Bruce C. has been an inspiration to me and i will attempt to raise some jumbo coppernose.

(shedding a tear)

Good to see Bid Don, a very busy man, on the forum. I look forward to stocking that small pond with some select coppernose bluegill, and trying some threadfin shad in the 2 acre pond. We have a good shad crop and no apparent die-off after water temps dipped to about 43 with the recent cold spell. I'm sure Don will keep us informed about his pond and his fish.

By the way, Don is the man to see about compressors, all sizes, quality products. Thanks to Don, we have a very high quality and reliable pond aeration system. The system aerates/destratifies about 15 ponds with a single compressor.

FYI,

My family lived and farmed near the Red River right around St. Joe Texas for many years during the 80s. We had Otto dig a 2 acre pond for us and had Bob Lusk stock it with baitfish, catfish, and bass. I have many good memories of that pond. I was probably about 12 years old at that time, and it seems that the pond had a lasting impression on me.