Just added the second and last (for me) board to the water control structure in the 1-acre FHM/GSH/LCS/RES/YP/SMB pond. This should bring the water up another 7" for a total of 14" of extra depth. We are dry here so that makes things easier. This should put the young bald cypress in the water, and the rip rap jetty under water (and help the papershell crayfish even more). Will need to gauge the size of the SMB this summer for growth. Neighbor was happy to harvest a nice YP early this year. He is an experienced BG fisherman (harvested over 30 from another of my ponds a couple weeks ago), but has never fished for YP before now.
My forage pond was looking scummy, and the creek is still flowing plenty of clear spring water, so decided to pump a while, and do a water change. I have made a new spot on the creek to pump that is about 140 feet closer and 4 feet less lift than times before for my 2" Honda pump. I had my wife there today with a stopwatch and we timed filling a 5 gallon bucket. The average of three tries was 2.6 seconds. That's with 350 feet of 2" pipe with a 12 foot total lift. The pipe is some utility grade with a teflon coating on the inside so it is very very slick so friction is very little. I get about 30% more water than I would through uncoated pipe, according to pump calculations. Pleasant surprise. Pump calcs showed about 81 GPM. Measured 115 GPM.
Trimmed up a few blue spruce. The few are planted in a bit of a wet hole and they do not like having wet feet. So I trimmed the lower branches that were on the ground or near the ground to let some air flow under them. In the past this has helped the spruce with wet feet. It also keeps the bug down.
Fed the catfish their large pellets...quite a commotion! Moved over to the BG spawning grounds and fed them small pellets. I'm getting tons of little BG, and, what looks like baby LMBs or maybe I had a successful spawn of fatheads. My two best LMBs, about 13", eat the BG feed. Standing there throwing pellets to the BG on their beds and in comes a rocket (LMB) shooting for baby BG. Hope he got one, but two jumped out of the pond and were rescued. Scared my dog...Buttercup started barking at the water.
Question: Is it possible for one year old bass (stocked at 4 to 5 inches last July) to spawn?
Wish we could post videos! I'll try to link some FB video posts.
I also wish I could move my big smoker down to the pond (and back up fifty feet)...we are smoking cured pork belly (bacon) and cured brisket (pastrami). It is a beautiful but brutally hot and muggy day in Texas! We remember the lost and fallen today!
I decided it was time to knock down the plant growth I had allowed to grow around the pond. I had let it grow about 2 feet back from full pool line to help with runoff sediment control, but it was getting a bit unsightly, and with no rain, the plant growth is just pulling from the pond. Looks like I've got some water willow starting to take hold at water's edge in a few places. Gonna have to keep an eye on it.
Most definitely thinking about those who gave all.
.10 surface acre pond, 10.5 foot deep. SW LA. The epitome of a mutt pond. BG, LMB, GSF, RES, BH, Warmouth, Longear Sunfish, Gambusia,Mud Minnows, Crappie, and now shiners!!...I subscribe!!
Yesterday I put my diffuser in the pond and and let the aerator run for 15 minutes, then set the timer to begin a start up procedure this week. I did fish a little bit and caught a few RES. Record high yesterday of 97 degrees.
I decided it was time to knock down the plant growth I had allowed to grow around the pond. I had let it grow about 2 feet back from full pool line to help with runoff sediment control, but it was getting a bit unsightly, and with no rain, the plant growth is just pulling from the pond. Looks like I've got some water willow starting to take hold at water's edge in a few places. Gonna have to keep an eye on it.
Most definitely thinking about those who gave all.
Amen to that last sentence.
As for the plant growth, it may well have benefited your fry and YOY fish, especially BG. In my inexpert opinion, you were smart to let it be during heavy spawning period.
I would agree with you Anthropic, had any of it actually been in the water...lol. The only thing spawning up shallow are the GSF, and they've had to keep moving their beds due to the water dropping with no rain. All my BG are apparently using deeper water, as I haven't seen a single BG bed shallow. Looks like the GSF are about done anyway.
Rest in peace my brothers at arms.
.10 surface acre pond, 10.5 foot deep. SW LA. The epitome of a mutt pond. BG, LMB, GSF, RES, BH, Warmouth, Longear Sunfish, Gambusia,Mud Minnows, Crappie, and now shiners!!...I subscribe!!
I had an "interesting" Memorial Day weekend....a bit of a learning experience.
The guy that built the log cabins told me he would be in the area and asked if he could spend one night in a cabin he built at our property. He did a great job on the project so I gladly said "yes". He is rarely up this way and they are super nice folks.
After Fri night he approached me Sat morning and stated his wife and family were having such a good time "was it ok if they stayed a second night"? I agreed it would be ok, but was slightly concerned about the level of fishing they were doing.
These 6 folks had 5 VERY PASSIONATE fisherman among them and they were very skilled fishermen. They were there Fri, Sat, and left Sunday about noon. They fished and fished and fished and fished....they were out there Sat night at 10PM with spotlights in the dark fishing and catching.
They fished right up until the moment they left Sunday about noon. They reported they had caught over 100 fish. They released most of the fish. I had them keep catfish and few bass.
I love to have guests come out for a few hours and fish...that's really what the place is for...relaxing and catch a few fish...but I don't want people coming out and spending multiple days on a frantic pace of non-stop fishing. I just think there is some truth about fish becoming hook-shy.
I had no idea these folks were such passionate/skilled fisherman, so it really caught me by surprise. I knew the builder liked to fish, but his relatives were fishing fanatics! If they ask to come back (and I am sure they will after being so thrilled) I will have to either decline or inform them my pond is not meant to get that kind of non-stop multi-day marathon fishing pressure.
Like all of us on Pond Boss I've invested a lot of time, money, sweat, tears and will not allow a repeat of this type of event. I had never really thought about this but it is a bit of an unknown when you invite someone that brings a few family members as to what level of fanatic fishermen are in the group. I guess odds are that this was a rare circumstance. I sure hope so....
Wow! I can relate to the love of fishing, as I used to fish at night during the summer, but this is pushing it on a private pond. You put in the time, money, and sweat to make something special, and they should respect that.
The one person other than grandkids that I've allowed to fish at my place had to abide by some pretty strict rules, including no fishing around the feeders nor the dock. She's a great neighbor and has done lots of free bush hogging for me, so wanted to reward her. But if she did what your guests did, that would be the last time. Too much investment to let someone just abuse it!
Fishermen, I feel, could never do the level of damage to my ponds as otters did this past winter. I am close to just quitting, with otters and the leaks.
Zep, I understand completely. Our pond isnt near what most of you have, but I still find myself being very finicky about the fish, number, how they are handled, where they fish...people always wanting to be around the feeder. Lol. People do not really get it. To most it's a pond...plane and simple, nothing more, nothing less. But to us, it's the Chevelle that we did a frame off resto on... countless hours...untold dollars...then your buddy wants to take a spin in it and decides it would be cool to floor it and drift around some curves. There should be an unspoken rule for things like that...a respect. There used to be that. At least you know to be more aware next time. Sorry to hear that.
lol that's funny...my wife an I were looking at colorado get aways yesterday after it was 97+ outside. I can't wait to buy some land out that way and prep for retirement!
I'm going to start heading down to my pond nightly and start feeding - lots of work to do, lots of heat, and I'm starting to get back to normal feeling after surgery
Saturday before memorial day I got the turtle 'floats' back out in the pond. It was steamy and over 90 all weekend so it felt good to wade around deploying them. I'm a little late this year and the turtles were anxious to get back on these safe havens. Used to have 10-12 painted turtles but only 3 little ones this year. I have one 4x4 float topped in green grass carpet in the SE and one in the NW corner so the turtles can take their pick on which one is sunny as the sun goes across the sky.
Not pond related, but saw this neat news article and video about the power of a deer who is determined to get to something. This is in the local workout facility caught on their security camera. The slow-mo part is amazing!
Water temp is up to 65 so we added dye for the first time this year and turned the aerators timer to run at night 12 hours only. It helps keep our water temp down all summer and the alga. The perch like to feed all summer running it this way.
Went out and hand fed my fish (usually every afternoon after work). I am really amazed at how big some of these sunfish are starting to get. Couldn't tell if they were GSF or BG, but some of them were really broad across the side which makes me think BG, but even those that I know were GSF looked to be 7-8". Actually saw a few BHC feeding underneath. First time for that. I kept waiting to see one of my 3 LMB come screaming thru for an easy meal, but alas, they were a no show. My fish dont seem to feed like I've read others describe. They're fairly energetic for the first few seconds, breaking water and knocking each other around, then settle down quickly and feed mostly subsurface. The bigger fish seem to get their fill and disappear.
Aint feeding your fish fun!!??
.10 surface acre pond, 10.5 foot deep. SW LA. The epitome of a mutt pond. BG, LMB, GSF, RES, BH, Warmouth, Longear Sunfish, Gambusia,Mud Minnows, Crappie, and now shiners!!...I subscribe!!