Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations What I've learned about raising HBG....

Well, I'm 3 months into raising my HBG, the cage is empty, all my fish having "graduated" to the freedom of the open pond. They're growing fast, nearly as tall as they are long. The experience thus far has been educational, rewarding, therapeutic, and , at times, the most frustrating endeavor imaginable. So, in the spirit of helping out someone who might be where I was a few short months ago,( a complete newbie), I thought I would share a few of my more memorable moments.
For instance:

Did you know that during periods of very heavy rain, the screen over the overflow pipe MIGHT come loose, thereby affording your 8 year old son the chance to one-up his dad by catching a HBG in the lower pond, where they were never stocked in the first place?
I know now.

Did you know that an 8 year old is extremely amused by the sight of his father down on his knees pounding his fists against the ground?

Did you know that HBG will whip the water to a froth with their feeding activity EVERY DAY, until you bring a friend down to witness this spectacle, whereupon they will fall into some kind of funk, with only a few timidly plucking pellets from the surface as if their lips were chapped?

Did you know that it is possible to train your fish where to eat, (feeding ring), but even more possible that a percentage of the population will train YOU to the fact that they prefer to eat over in the shallow cove, thereby dashing your hopes of establishing just ONE feeding area?

Did you know that HBG are wonderfully expressive? I've seen my fish angry, playful, stressed out, sad, belligerent, happy-go-lucky, and scornful. And on more than one occasion I've been the target of what I believe to be the fish equivalent of an obscene gesture.

Did you know that Aquamax 500 is to a grass carp what chicken nuggets are to a six year old?

Did you know that I may be spending too much time with my HBG?

nah.

LMAO

It's official, you no longer have a passion but an obsession!

GOOD STUFF SPRKPLUG

i've been accused of spending too much time w/ my lil guys and gals too

Very funny stuff...Sounds like your HBG are pampered, and know it. Maybe they came from a hatchery in Beverly Hills.

Been there, done that. I had to slap myself and say "Get a Life".

Great post!

Hilarious.

I hope my fish never get scornful. I don't know if I can handle it.

Love it!

Scornful is one thing, but there is nothing worse than a cyncical fish, especially when mixed with a hint of sarcasm.

My guess is most of what you've witnessed is the GSF personality rising to the surface.

Angry, of course they're angry. If you were subjected to the constant persecution that a GSF is you'd be angry as well.

Playful, it's in the nature of a GSF. The body of a sunfish, the mouth of a LMB and a sense of humor to boot.

Stressed out, goes hand in hand with being angry.

Sad, that the world does not recognize the superiority of their magnificent genes.

Belligerent, you better believe it. Oh sure the ghirly BG get all the accolades just because they breed like freakin rabbits. What is so special about that? You don't see anyone putting rabbits on a pedestal do you? Well do you?

Happy-go-lucky, of course. You provide their food, you provide their environment. All they need to do is eat and avoid being eaten, other than the stinking BG issue, and the ill informed haters of GSF, what's not to be happy about?

Scornful, you bet. After all someone forced a beautiful GSF to mate with a rabbit-like plane jane BG solely for your amusement. Would you be respectful if you were the by product of a Human/Macaques forced breeding program. Of course not, don't be ridiculous.

The fish equivalent of an obscene gesture? You're getting off lightly. Wait until the cursing begins.

The "experience thus far has been educational, rewarding, therapeutic, and , at times, the most frustrating endeavor imaginable."

I believe that one line sums up pond management. At least for me. I really enjoyed reading that post Sprkplug

Since I currently find myself unencumbered by the restraints usually associated with a steady workload, I've been going back over some of my old posts. I ran across this one from my earliest days here on PB, back when I was just getting started, excited by what the future held for my ponds, and my fish......naive and innocent.....

Of course I now realize that same future would also entail taking medication every day to control my blood pressure, lead to thinning and greying hair, weight gain, and the need to wear bifocals every waking moment...Coincidence? Hmmmm.........

Did you know that losing a few fish through the spillpipe, while seemingly horrific at the moment it happens, actually appears insignificant in comparison to a water level that is nowhere near high enough to go out the spillpipe?

Did you know that upon finally raising your first one pound HBG, and excitedly proclaiming such a fact, that every single angler you've ever known will confess to catching "boatloads" of one pound Bluegills, every time they go fishing?

Did you know that upon finally raising your first pound and a half HBG, " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " ...........

Did you know that receiving a Christmas card from the feed store, thanking you for enabling them to purchase braces for their child, will raise the eyebrows of your spouse?

Did you know that asking the people who you allow to fish in your ponds, if they will boil or otherwise disinfect all their lures and hooks before dipping them into the pristine environment that is your pond, will cause them to whisper to each other behind your back?

Did you know that the yellow lid on a jug of Aquashade, and the blue lid on a jug of Cutrine Plus, are different colors for a reason? And that said reason is much more apparent when the jugs are viewed from the back, in a shed with no windows?

Did you know that three years later, I'm probably still spending too much time with my HBG?

Good post - you have a way with words...

Huge laughs again from me Sparkplug...but one thing does concern me.

I think I'm dumber today than I was back then or at least I have more questions today than answers. That is kind of depressing to think about. I wonder how many times i've told my wife in the last 8 years, "After that, fill in the blank experience, I have pretty much leveled off on the learning curve of this pond endevor. And I think the big expenses are behind us now!"

I can't remember who's quote it was here on Pond Boss but boy does it ring true with me today..."You aren't a fish farmer until you kill at least 10,000 fish.". Well then, its official, I'm now a fish farmer 3 times over.

And not a very good one.....YET!

Bear with me a moment, I don't know how to say this, so read carefully.


I think that when we're starting out on this journey, we don't even know enough to know how much we don't know.

I learn something every day, but there's always one or two more things every day that makes me wonder why such and such happened, or what caused "X" to happen.

That was Bruce who first posted the definition.

I like Dave Willis' idea - "often we just don't know the answers".
The more I learn the more I realize just how true that is.

Also Bill's - "It all depends".
So many variables at work so we never know.

Remember its about the journey not the end results.

Sparkplug -- you've been a great inspiration here on the forum. HBG are the central focus of the new pond we built this year. Many of the old posts and threads I read before deciding on HBG/CC/HSB were from you.

And ...



When I was still working, I proudly displayed pictures of some of my trophy size bluegill, RES, and CC in my office. People who wouldn't recognize a fish hook, even if it hooked them in the butt, would usually be the ones who would make those types of comments. I'd usually smile and ask them to take me to that spot someday.

Even this 18 inch brook trout got similar comments from a few trout fishing "experts." Usually it was the guys with the fancy garb and funny hats who would make a trip every couple of years to somewhere like Montana. Then, somebody like Cecil would provide the guide service with "their" trophy. This fish was raised at a local trout research facility. It unfortunately died after too much fun during "spring break" festivities with its friends. So, it became a smoked trout delicacy.

Thanks for the kind words Ken, although I'm sure I've absorbed more info than I've been able to give back, due to my very limited field of knowledge.

I look forward to meeting yourself, as well as many other forum regulars at the conference in October.

Sounds like fun, even if rookie attendees with obsessive HBG disorders are required to sit at a table in the back. And that table only has three legs. And mis-matched chairs.

Good thread sprkplug..