Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Happiness is a stocked full pool

Thought I'd share my full pool before it receeds? Maybe this year it may not? I can always dream.

The pond is going on it's fifth year and I'm happy to say with all the rain last spring I was able to have a couple of trout survive last years stocking and over winter.

I took these photos yesterday. Early this year, although yesterday was a record breaker for warm weather in NH.


FULL POOL


STOCKING JEEP


8-10" RAINBOWS

Great looking place and congratulations on the fish stocking!

Scruffy I see your more optimistic about your pond, it really looks good.
Did any of the PS's survive along with the Trout?
Maybe putting in those dollar bills helped stop the leak.

AP,
I'm always happy when the pond is full. I'm really happy this spring as I've seen at least two of the ten trout I stocked last year. One has very distinctive markings on its back and I saw it last week feeding along the shore. I also saw it through the ice in January. These are the first trout I’ve stocked that wintered over, aeration does work.

The PS are showing up one by one. Last week four large PS showed, today there are six. I haven’t seen any of the fry that I had last year yet, I suspect they were trout food this winter.

I just finished the spring raking around the pond to get as many dead leaves as I could out of the water. Do you rake your pond shore, or am I over doing it?

I stocked the trout early this year to help with accumulating them to the water temp. I stocked a bakers dozen plus one. I get them from a small private hatchery the next town up from me, so they don’t have far to travel.

I’m still aerating since were going to have some cooler days ahead. I haven’t turned on the well pump yet, the nozzle is still underwater. The well gives me a splash of cold water in the pond until the water table drops way down.

Have you been up to your pond yet?

Raking the pond shore is labor intensive, but it will help over time with the build-up of sediment.

Congrats on the recent stocking. Make one feel all warm inside!

Scruffy I don't rake my pond, the leaves seem to decompose pretty good with almost 100GPM piped into the pond.
I get up to the pond every week and when I was there last friday & sat. the ice had just gone out, no sign of trout but it was warm this week so when I go up tomorrow I'll put in traps and try fishing for the trout. Either way I'm going to pick-up 50 Tiger trout next monday and I get BRKT from the stream.
More improvements planned this year to increase winter survivability.
Did you ever put in structure for your PS's to spawn and hide in?

Big cold front coming thru tonight, hopefully you'll get some good precip.

PS. The front is moving east at about 25mph, looks like all of us east coasters will get rain.

Great looking pond... I hope your trout do well this year and hold over for you! I have signs that a few of my brown trout held over in our creek. My dad caught a 21" brown trout last week when the largest brown trout we stocked this spring was 15"... It was a beautiful fish!

GO ahead, rub it in.

Some of us have all the luck! Me, I've been fighting a leaking pond for some time now. I'm over joyed that it will actually hold fish, even trout. I'm like everyone else here, over obsessed with the fact that I have a pond that holds fish…..

CJB, thanks for the kind words it has been a labor of love, but not in my wifes eyes. But when it's full she does like it.

AP, I have faith a few trout held over for you... Maybe some of your browns that are so secretive. Have faith... If not, keep working at it. Maybe some of your tigers will hold over this year. I wish I had a hatchery near by that sold tigers.

Here's a place in southern pennsy.
http://agmap.psu.edu/Businesses/1765