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#489582 05/05/18 08:48 PM
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Tried liming & fertilizing to increase fertility, but results have been less than spectacular. But there are signs that is changing now! smile

Visibility down to about 30 inches (yeah, I know that's still not great, but believe me it's progress from the usual 36 to 40 inches). Even better, for the first time EVER my bride & I saw a cloud of tiny fish, much too small to identify but likely CNBG.

Small BG and CNBG all over the place, totally different than last fall when few little guys were around due to poor recruitment. I'm guessing we lost some bigger CNBG due to fungus back then, but this spring we gained some both big and small from the forage pond and I think early spawn. We also dumped some ultra fertile green water from forage pond into main pond, which may have helped with the bloom.

Holographic scare tape has worked on cormorants, though geese could not care less. We did spot a GBH next the dock, so put up a couple of scare eye balloons. Geese ignored them, but hopefully GBH won't.

Feed trained N LMB going great guns, very aggressive & almost all fat.

We may add a smaller amount of pond fertilizer soon, maybe 25 lb, after adding 40 lb a few weeks ago. Bloom has obviously benefited from warming temps, would like to get it down to 20 to 24 inches viz.


Last edited by anthropic; 05/05/18 08:54 PM.

7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




anthropic #489586 05/05/18 10:18 PM
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I have a bloom all winter..... now viz is about 24-30”.... now that I need it it’s gone
Glad your pond is finally going your way.

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Originally Posted By: Pat Williamson
I have a bloom all winter..... now viz is about 24-30”.... now that I need it it’s gone
Glad your pond is finally going your way.


Funny how every pond is so different. I'd be absolutely delighted with 24 inch viz, better than I've ever had.

As for my forage pond, it has never been limed nor fertilized. And yet it remains in bloom year around, with viz around 12 inches. confused


7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




anthropic #489596 05/06/18 06:27 AM
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I read a comment recently from Ewest where I understood him to say when fertilizing be careful not to over fertilize or one might get a denser bloom than someone might want and that could cause problems down the road. I've had some pretty dense blooms that gave me some worry. From my experience when feeding the cnbg daily it has increased my blooms to where they were thicker than I wanted. History at my place tells me to look for denser blooms in June and Oct.

Frank, have your cnbg, bg returned to your feeders? Mine are hitting the feeders pretty hard right now. You seen any increase in the numbers at your feeders over what was there just a few weeks ago?


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Tracy
TGW1 #489614 05/06/18 03:32 PM
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Yeah, the CNBG and BG are feeding now. I guess the water was just too cold for them up until the last couple of weeks.

I do see a heck of a lot more small CNBG than I did last year, though fewer bigguns. Large CNBG were hit hard by fungus last fall for some unknown reason, guess many didn't survive. Others did, though, as did the fish in the forage pond which we transferred to main BOW.

Come to think of it, this is another reason why it's good to have a forage pond: Problems in the main BOW might not affect it.

Feed trained bass are a total blast, which is what they do around feeder. Not just bass pellets, but also giant feed that must be hand fed.

Last edited by anthropic; 05/06/18 03:36 PM.

7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




TGW1 #489617 05/06/18 04:44 PM
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I fertilized my new RES pond because it is mostly clay bottom and not a lot of nutrients naturally. Water was very clear.

Now I have a great crop of FA. Wrong kind of algae showed up. So my adding fertilizer did not work out as planned. Still have clear water although maybe slightly more pelagic algae.


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anthropic #489618 05/06/18 04:55 PM
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Snub, I feel your pain. Maybe we should start a FA club. I could be on the board... if not presponsible or vp. Lol. Crystal clear water covered in green.


snrub #489624 05/06/18 06:25 PM
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Originally Posted By: snrub
I fertilized my new RES pond because it is mostly clay bottom and not a lot of nutrients naturally. Water was very clear.

Now I have a great crop of FA. Wrong kind of algae showed up. So my adding fertilizer did not work out as planned. Still have clear water although maybe slightly more pelagic algae.


Hey, John, sorry to hear that. Wonder if TP might help?

By the way, I put in TP 2016 and 2017, and they did indeed cut back sharply on algae of all types, including FA around feeders. (I guess the feed served as a fertilizer.)

But there was a drawback: In my BOW, Algae and FA serves as just about the only shelter little YOY fish have from large fish. Perhaps for this reason, very poor recruitment of CNBG. Big ones, yes; upcoming classes, no.

Catch 22: Not enough smaller CNBG to feed LMB, but if supplement with TP then even fewer CNBG!

Still mulling over whether I should give TP a rest this year and go for maximum CNBG recruitment, or use TP to supplement LMB diet. Not green enough for TFS.

One plus: Put in feed trained bass last fall, they do indeed eat bass pellets. LMB are fat, so maybe I can get away without TP if I do another smaller fertilization & put in some brush...

Last edited by anthropic; 05/06/18 06:32 PM.

7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




anthropic #489627 05/06/18 07:27 PM
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Anthropic, just curious but why did you have fewer cnbg numbers by supplementing w with tp? Wouldn't that take psi off the bg? Or was it lack of cover you are talking about. I have little structure also. Hope to sink some more soon.


anthropic #489629 05/06/18 07:58 PM
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peachgrower, my pond is relatively infertile & acidic, despite liming. When CNBG or BG spawn, there is little for them to eat since I don't have a good bloom of plankton.

Even worse, I don't have much in the way of cover for them. Few plants. Just about the only place they can shelter is in algae and FA, but when I add TP they take out about 90 percent of this.

So, for just hatched BG, there is little to eat and nowhere to hide.

TP does take pressure off BG to an extent, but they make BG recruitment more difficult. I'm trying to balance this tradeoff in my mind, but it's tough.

Last edited by anthropic; 05/06/18 08:02 PM.

7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




anthropic #489632 05/06/18 08:28 PM
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What about adjusting tp numbers by half...or putting them in later in the year...more fa...but maybe better recruitment. Just throwing that out there. Sure you have thought about that.


peachgrower #489634 05/06/18 08:59 PM
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Originally Posted By: peachgrower
What about adjusting tp numbers by half...or putting them in later in the year...more fa...but maybe better recruitment. Just throwing that out there. Sure you have thought about that.


Good ideas. Maybe I will have electroshock survey to see what exactly is going on before making final decision. Things are definitely better for BG recruitment this year, I even saw a cloud of tiny BG fry the other day, something never seen before at the pond.

If it gets green enough, maybe I can add TFS and HSB, too.


7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




anthropic #489638 05/06/18 09:53 PM
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Anth, according to Lusk 99% of the fry never make it to one yoa


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
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Originally Posted By: Dave Davidson1
Anth, according to Lusk 99% of the fry never make it to one yoa


You're right, Dave. My problem was that something like 99.9% of the fry never made it to one year in my BOW. frown

Last edited by anthropic; 05/07/18 01:47 AM.

7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




anthropic #489818 05/09/18 07:18 AM
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Frank, how often are you feeding the N.lmb and was wondering if the TH feeders would throw the Optimal lmb size or are you hand feeding the lmb? If hand feeding how often are you hand feeding? Everyday or three times a week? I know you had some Optimal lmb food but what sizes feed the lmb? And have or are you using the Purina also? Cargills 3/8"? do they eat the Optimal smaller sized, like the size we split?


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Tracy
TGW1 #489833 05/09/18 11:23 AM
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Tracy, I'm only feeding a couple of times a day, maybe a total of 5 seconds per feeder. Now that water has warmed and BG have joined in the fun, will have to increase that.

My problem now is the doggone geese want to eat it, so it is better to do several smaller feedings than one big one. Otherwise the geese get there in time to eat most of the food!

I use a mix of #2 YOY food (for newly hatched fry), LMB pellets, and regular BG feed. Bass hit pellets, but leave BG feed mostly alone. Big BG will sometimes take LMB pellets, too.

I also have the one bag of giant feed for bass which must be hand thrown as it's too big for feeders. I like tossing that out when I see the bass off the dock, and they definitely appreciate it. It's a blast to watch them blast it!


Last edited by anthropic; 05/09/18 11:32 AM.

7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




anthropic #489842 05/09/18 01:06 PM
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Your geese still there? Thought they migrate in the spring

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Geese still there. They are hard to drive off after you start feeding, which they assume is for their benefit.


7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




anthropic #489888 05/10/18 07:35 AM
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So Frank, the TH feeder will throw the Optimal lmb pellets? I can understand the larger sized giant feed will not but was wondering about the lmb pellets. I was talking with Walt from Overtons and I understood him to say TH feeders and the Sweeney feeders that did throw the larger sized feed are no longer available. I might be able to hand feed most days but probably only once per day so will leaning towards the larger sized Purina feed, I'm guessing?

Last edited by TGW1; 05/10/18 07:36 AM.

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Tracy
TGW1 #489914 05/10/18 01:46 PM
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Tracy, my TH feeders throw the LMB pellets, but only after Walt adjusted the throw plate. You're right that the giant stuff can only be hand tossed, like the best pizza. Fun to watch, I must say.

I was not aware that TH has changed their feeders such that LMB size pellets cannot be used anymore. Wonder why? Feed trained bass are a lot of fun, and perfect for many ponds where it's tough to grow enough forage for them at every stage of size.

PS Just got off the phone with Walt Overton. He said that 3/8 inch LMB pellets can be thrown by both TH and Sweeney feeders. However, larger stuff cannot. Sweeney used to make a machine that could throw 3/4 inch pellets, but has ceased production. He would like to talk with Sweeney folks about doing a limited run, as 3/4 inch pellets are excellent for feed trained LMB.

The Optimal Hand Throw pellets are 1 inch. I'd love it if someone would make a specialized feeder that could throw pellets this size!

Last edited by anthropic; 05/10/18 02:22 PM.

7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




anthropic #489933 05/11/18 07:00 AM
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Walt is bringing some 3/8" Cargills and I will see if my TH feeders will throw it. They do throw the 1/4" but not sure they will throw the larger. I have already set my spinners as low as I can get them by adjust the Allen screw and by adding a washer (spacer) to the mounting bracket.

When my son was in his young years we raced those small electric cars around dirt tracks here locally. They were powered with small electric motors and small batteries pack's. Some of the motors were really fast but then the battery pac would not last the race, so lots of time spent on switching out motors on those little dirt track cars and finding the right mix. If I could find one of those little motors with a longer power shaft and replace the motor on the TH feeder, I bet it would really sling out some fish food. smile


Last edited by TGW1; 05/11/18 07:09 AM.

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Tracy
TGW1 #489944 05/11/18 11:03 AM
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Great idea re motors! I've seriously considered buying a remote controlled fast model boat so as to greet the geese when the feeders go off.


7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




anthropic #489991 05/12/18 11:16 AM
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Haha! Sounds like it might be fun. Or wait till next hunting season and then serve up some goose and taters, or a goose and duck gumbo sounds really good. I had a group of guys on a Night time crappie fishing trip where we all got on a big closed in boat on Toledo Bend one winter night. Asked what I brought to eat, I said Duck Gumbo. Couple of the guys made the comment "I don't like duck" By the early morning we ran out of the 5 gals of gumbo. Those same guys were looking for more and said "I like duck gumbo" lol.


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Tracy
TGW1 #489995 05/12/18 11:53 AM
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I really like duck, and I really like gumbo, so I'm sure I'd like duck gumbo.

Only two geese left at pond, others have presumably left for cooler temps. No goslings this year. Still a nuisance around feeders, but two eat a lot less than the ten we had a few weeks ago.

Only cormorants left are in far corner bay, well away from scare tape. They don't like that scare tape one bit! Still one GBH hanging around, but it seems to avoid scare balloons.

Yesterday 5pm surface temp was 81 F, the highest I've seen this year. Fish are very active, including huge numbers of BG. A lot more little guys than last year, so forage pond seems to have helped there.


7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




anthropic #489999 05/12/18 12:53 PM
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Cormorant gumbo? Ewww

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