Pond Boss Forums INTRO Common Pond Q&A (archives) POND BOSS NEWS: Nearly Live from PondCon2

Forum members (from left) Mongo, Theo, JHAP, Fatty McButterpants, George, Brettski, Ewest, Burgermeister, Bob Lusk, Princess Debbie, and Sunil.

Bruce just can't stop fishing, even at a conference, even when the only fish are in a fish tank, even when he doesn't have a hook on the line. And he darn near caught a fish without the hook. I'm telling you the guy is a fishing machine.

Ricki (aka JWHAP), Ray Scott, and JHAP. We had the pleasure the honor and pleasure to have lunch with Ray, Bob and Princess Debbie on Thursday. We won the Ray Scott books and hat, which Ray autographed with a very nice personal touch.

JHAP is modeling the GSA world class T-shirt line. These shirts will be available and the finer stores in your area soon. As you can see they are available in large sizes.

Bob Lusk and Princess Debbie after being presented with the spoils of the silent auction. One is happy, the other not so much.



Bob is a great sport and a very funny guy, generous with his time and belongings. Debbie is worthy of being called Princess Debbie, what a gracious host, and a class act she is, and she is also very funny to boot.

Ricki and I thank you both from the bottom of our hearts for all you did for us during conference week. Our lives are enriched for having met you two.

On the way to the lusk lodge we stopped at a convenience store.

Bruce found a quality hat at an affordable price.

The vibe he was putting out was incredible.

It takes a real man to wear a pink hat and a baby blue shirt and yet he pulls it off. Unbelievable.

Speaking of Bruce, that guy's casting skills are off the charts.

He stood 10' back from Overton's tank and put a jighead into the tank through a 1" x 1" opening. Unreal

Lusk Lodge 2. All I can say is WOW. Photos do not do this place justice. I tried long and hard to convince Bob and Debbie that they really, really needed a live-in CPA and Registered Nurse team. He told me he'd get back to me. So far the phone hasn't rang.

Not visible in this photo is the Lusk Lodge: Heliport, Bowling Alley, Lure museum, movie theatre, 7 of his 8 ponds (no I'm not kidding, eight ponds) and various other amenities.

I'm telling you the place is beautiful.

Layton caught the first fish of the day. Upon teaching me the finer points of the Condello Method of Photography, Bruce gave me the thumbs up to take this photo. Layton brought tears to the eyes of JHAP, JWHAP, Theo and Brettski with his medical stories (he is a retired physician), I'm trying to convince him to tell one particular story here in the forums. His wife is an absolute gem.

Nate found the Zip line and put it to good use.

I wanna Zip Line, I want one bad.

Don't worry folks Nate can swim.

Aaron and a bass that he caught. Unfortunately this is not the photo of the big bass that he caught (which weighed over 5 pounds). I think Bruce has a photo of that bass. Aaron and Bruce fished and fished and fished and fished. Made me tired just watching them.

Aaron is a very interesting guy and is living proof that Small Mouth Bass can be raised in warm conditions..... like Arizona.

In an alternate universe, in a land far, far away, Bruce's polar opposite catches a Bass and illustrates the "Reverse Condello Method of Photography."

Somehow Theo transported me to this alternate universe and back using only his watch, a coat hanger, and some WD-40. I was just able to snap this photo before I was tugged back into reality. All I can say is becareful around Theo, be very, very careful.

Oh and don't ask me what Bruce's opposite is doing with his fishing pole, I figured it was one of those don't ask, don't tell situations.

Jeffhasabluegill

Nate caught this bluegill using the fly pole he was holding.

Nate is a great guy. Ricki and I are proud count him amoungst our friends. If I had a son I'd want him to be just like Nate.

Whattaburger has the best fast-food hamburgers in the entire world.

I just forgot how to breath.

Ricki (aka JWHAP) caught her very first Coppernosed Bluegill. Bruce said her fish was bigger than any Coppernose that he had ever caught. I'm not sure if this is that particular fish or not. Things were fast and furious for a while there when we were all fishing for panfish. Ricki reeled in fish after fish. Somehow Bruce got Ricki to actually hold a fish. I think some form of hypnosis was used but I can't be certain.

"Thank you lord for this fish that my belly is about to receive and thank for for the strength to reel this 6.25 pound monster (a personal record for channel cat) on 4 pound test with this ultra light pole and reel, thank you for the instructions from Bruce on how to land this fish, thank you for Nate's fishing lessons that made this personal best possible."




And on a more serious note, thank you all for being part of this forum, thank you Bob Lusk and Mike Otto for providing us with Pond Boss, thank you moderators for keeping the forum on the internet. Thank you Bob Lusk and Princess Debbie for so generously including Ricki and I in this wonderous day. JHAP and JWHAP are truly blessed to have found this wonderful place and have met so very many new friends.

From the bottom of our hearts JHAP and JWHAP thank you one and all.

I will try to keep up with JeffHasACamera.

Special Events

Chris and Catmandoo gave a fish-cleaning demo. It was well and attentively received despite being in the full late afternoon sun.


As JHAP noted, Bruce can't help fishing any available BOW. He came close to landing Todd Overton's Longear Sunfish (which would have been Bruce's first) despite not even having a hook.


George Glazener teaches Dave Davidson "Fly Tying for Goggle-Eyes"


As a special treat for the ladies present, Sunil & FMcB showed off their special brand of (sugarless) eye candy.
Jim Liner couldn't believe it either.


Children of all ages enjoyed the Albino-Bluegill flavored All Day Suckers


although it gave some of them a tummy-ache and ruined their appetite for the burrito bar lunch (Brettski, Bruce, Burgermeister).

Theo, from my best recollection you have these two photos backwards.

I think it went something a little more like this:

Sunil and Fatty McButterpants bust out a body building pose in front of the moderators both.



Unfortuately, this occured at the exact same time that Dave discovered that fly tieing goggles have x-ray properties that allow a person to see through clothes. This nervous smile was followed by a blood chilling scream that was heard for two blocks and finally the violent smashing of the glasses. Fortunately, neither George nor Brandon (barely visable on the left side of the photo) were injured during this event. Dave on the other hand is probably scarred for life.

We did have some mind bending discussion late into the night. Bio-energetics is a fascinating subject and so are BG & LMB genetics and spawning. I am still looking for some answers. Melissa was on top of the subjects and had some of the guys heads spinning. Even talked about new research that allows the determination of fish diets past and present from scales and spines (not lethal to the fish).

Actually, Eric -- past diet determination from scales and spines (rather than muscle plugs) is where the 2008 money from the Jesse West endowment was used. We'll hope to get Justin VanDeHey to the Pond Boss Conference next year, and update everyone on how the money was used and what he learned. How's that for a first-thought-in-the-morning? This is still experimental stuff.

Ricki and I didn't get to spend much time with Melissa but we kept hearing great reviews about her from everyone.

I am just a layman related to ponds but I must tell you that I am very excited about the calibre of people and the topics that were presented at the conference. I'm sure the presentations probably seemed "dumbed down" for you professional folks but I really enjoyed them.

Oh and Dr. Dave, I was just reading some of your newsletters on your web site. Contratulations on being promoted to department head and and for being inducted in to the Hall of Excellence of the American Fisheries Society, Fisheries Management Section (I hope I got that correct). I'm sure this was probably mentioned on Pond Boss somewhere but I must have missed it.