A lot of us have learned that ANY fish, in our ponds, caught when our water temps are that high are probably going to die. A lot of us just don't fish then.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
DD1 has good advice about TX heat and pond angling. First try the HSB then watch how they survive. Later you can always periodically restock HSB or CC.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
Have an appointment tomorrow at Overton's at 10:30!!! Finally getting my fish!! Exciting times. I will try to take lots of pictures of the process and post them here.
You will like him and his staff. I'll warn you, stocking fish is very addictive, you'll be wanting to go back and get more once you release them and start feeding. It's very relaxing. Our whole family goes down and watches them eat.
Well Todd Overton and Overton Fisheries are as advertised! Well worth the 2.5 hour drive. They were super crowded when I got there so I got a chance to just roam around. They took their time with each client and answered any and all questions. They made sure each person was completely taken care of and satisfied before they let them leave. There were vats of fish everywhere and every fish I saw looked healthy and vibrant. You can tell they take pride in the quality of their fish. They took the time to explain why they were separating into so many boxes, how to properly acclimate the fish to my pond, etc. I think they could tell I was a first timer. I was thoroughly impressed. If you live anywhere within safe fish transportation distance I wouldn't go anywhere else. I drove 2.5 hours back and the fish were just as feisty as when they put them in. I bet they could easily go 4 hours or so depending on the temperature. I took some pictures. I forgot to ask Todd if he cared if I posted them. Hopefully he doesn't. If you see this, thanks again Todd. Another very satisfied customer.
I wound up getting: 250 CNBG, 100 RES, 35 LMB, 20 HSB and 10# FHM (I put 8# of FHM and 15# of craws in about a month ago). Todd said with my goals it was ok to go ahead and stock everything together.
A little drizzle last night. Mostly stayed south of us. In the mid-40s today.
It sure was fun seeing "fish activity" on the water last night. Walked around with a flashlight and saw tons of FHM everywhere and even a few bass cruising the shoreline. Exciting times!
Yeah it is very exciting! Just wait till you start feeding and they will be a tidal wave coming to shore. Someone on here told me they could hear your footsteps and he was right on the money. I still take my bell, but they are usually already there or on their way.
I have thought about some HSB, but I think I'm going to wait awhile. With all the CC and the Tilapia that I have planned, I should I plenty to catch.
Hey, one more question. Did you try any of the Cargill 4512? My BG really seem to like it.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. If you want to try the Optimal BG feed, there is a fellow on the forum in Grand Praire that just ordered a pallet. There is a thread on here about it.
I did get a bag of the 4512. I have gotten increasingly more action the last two evenings. However, I will have to transition to something else once the bag is up. I can't get the Cargill products here locally and won't pay the premium for shipping. I plan to switch to Purina AquaMax MVP next. My local feed store can get it for me and it has the different size pellets to feed all of my different size fish. Simple. I like simple.
I will say my CNBG are eating the MVP very well. I threw out close to 5#s yesterday afternoon, and they hammered it. I was throwing out a handful at a time and they could eat it faster than I could throw it. Once it gets a little warmer, I'm going to test how much they can eat in 10 minutes, but will stop the max amount. I don't think they can eat that much, but at 5 pounds, they ate the last handful as aggressive as the first one.
1.8 acre pond with CNBG, RES, HSB, and LMB Trophy Hunter feeder.
I'm up to 2 cans a day. 1 can at noon, 1 can in the evening. That around 4 cups. I don't know how long my feed will last, but I figure this first sack will last at least another month.
Wow! A $40 sack of feed every 10 days? That could get a bit pricey.
It does sound pricey, but I get a lot of utils out of that $100/mo. I compared to a couple nice meals, it's really fairly cheap for the enjoyment I get out and the entertainment it creates.
Last edited by BrianL; 03/13/1710:37 AM.
1.8 acre pond with CNBG, RES, HSB, and LMB Trophy Hunter feeder.
Oh I agree. That's what makes being a pond owner so great. You can put as much or as little time, effort, money and resources as you want into it. Everyone's budget, availability, health and goals are different.
When I first got my feeder, I was thinking a bag a month max. I was running about a bag thru the feeder, and hand throwing a bag plus a month because I enjoyed watching them feed. Finally I just set the feeder to throw what I was hand feeding so it would be more consistent.
The beauty of feeding, is you could feed at the same rate as me for a 1/4 the cost, since is is based on surface acre. That is an advantage to a 1/4 or 1/2 acre pond when it comes to a feeding program.
When i started my pond project I was wanting a 6-8 acre BOW, till I figured out the construction cost. Now, I know that size would be 3x the cost for construction, in buying fish, habitat that had to be placed, and feed that would thrown. In BOW bigger isn't always better.
1.8 acre pond with CNBG, RES, HSB, and LMB Trophy Hunter feeder.
Anybody else sit at work and count the minutes that you get to go home, relax by your pond and feed you fish? My new oasis from the stresses of the world. I guess it will eventually have stress with it too, but not for now.
I hang out at mine every chance I get. It's so relaxing and calming just sitting there. Right now mine is still muddy from the flood and nothing is coming up to eat and it's driving this old man looney.
Hey, I meant to ask you if you had any trouble transporting your Bass. Do they box up the larger fish the same as the fingerlings? I've been wondering how I'm going to get my Tilapia home.
Well Todd Overton and Overton Fisheries are as advertised! Well worth the 2.5 hour drive. They were super crowded when I got there so I got a chance to just roam around. They took their time with each client and answered any and all questions. They made sure each person was completely taken care of and satisfied before they let them leave. There were vats of fish everywhere and every fish I saw looked healthy and vibrant. You can tell they take pride in the quality of their fish. They took the time to explain why they were separating into so many boxes, how to properly acclimate the fish to my pond, etc. I think they could tell I was a first timer. I was thoroughly impressed. If you live anywhere within safe fish transportation distance I wouldn't go anywhere else. I drove 2.5 hours back and the fish were just as feisty as when they put them in. I bet they could easily go 4 hours or so depending on the temperature. I took some pictures. I forgot to ask Todd if he cared if I posted them. Hopefully he doesn't. If you see this, thanks again Todd. Another very satisfied customer.
My wife and I make that trip 2 or 3 times a year, and it's always a fun day.
I've had my pond a while, and I've had great advice and fish over the years. Bob Lusk, Todd Overton, and Bob Waldrop are as good as they get.
I bought 20 large HSB (picture in post above) and they split them up in bags/boxes of 7, 7 and 6 for that reason. Said with their sharp fins they would stab each other pretty bad if you packed them in too tight. I wouldn't worry about it. They definitely know what they are doing and do whatever is needed to get your fish home safe.
You've got to stop showing me pictures of those Bass! You are giving me a HSB itch. I can't do it now though, I've got Tilapia to buy. Maybe in about a year I can get a dozen to grow out. By that time, I should have lots of Bluegill to feed them along with hand feeding.
Another fun pastime of mine now is to go out with a flashlight and watch the Bluegill chase the minnows around in the shallows. I could do that for hours. Of course my pond is 50 feet from my front door so it is easier for me than some.
farmallsc, this may make you want to go get some HSB even more. First cast ever in the pond with an inline spinner. Fought like a 2 lb LMB. Stocked 9 days ago.
