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Tracy, I'm gonna talk with a couple of my buddies about a goose hunt! Thanks for the info.


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




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Went to the pond yesterday and now at full pool! The bloom has lessened some and clarity is about18” for now. Caught a few BCP under the dock. That hasn’t happened since spring I guess from the lack of clarity. A very large LMB tried to eat a 8” BCP that I had hooked.... that was fun

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Pat, I got another inch and 1/2 rain to go with my previous 5 1/2 inch and it is still raining over here right now. I didn't see them but I heard a couple of wood ducks already today. Pond is still flushing but clarity still under 12 inch. Cnbg fed like crazy in 65 degrees air temp yesterday!! Tried a little to catch a lmb but no luck in only 30 minutes fishing. I'm still feeding in the am and pm both and still running aeriation 24 hours.


Dear Alcohol, We had a deal where you would make me funnier, smarter, and a better dancer... I saw the video... We need to talk.
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Cool James we didn’t get a drop this go around..... Stickem said he got 1-1/4”.....

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Having a mild spell the last couple of weeks. A thin layer of ice forms at night but doesn't hold up during daytime temps. Just have a floating section in the middle. The pond has been dropping in late fall after rains stopped. I decided to use the hose to raise it again to try to 'overfill' it a bit and hope when cold comes we will have more ice skating surface for the kids to enjoy.

The filling up process gave a new ice-free zone of warm well water all around the edges with the ice floe floating and shrinking every day in the middle.

Right on cue the pesky GBH showed up to do some scouting of the pond edges for anything edible. I'm not sure what he/she found. My kids told me that about a week before the GBH showed up and was walking around on top of a paper thin layer of ice. Why he would do that and what he was thinking I have no idea. I also know that if he fell through there is no way he could have taken off to fly away as they have a hard time getting airborne. I was kind of hoping he would fall through so that my crayfish, RES and turtles could have turned that trouble maker into a rack of white bones on the bottom!

I tossed some optimal feed and sure enough the shiners were happy to zoom over and fill their bellies. I hope some of the YP and RES got some but not sure. The YP mommas got to be filling out their eggs by now!

I threw some pellets up on the ice hoping that as it melts this will be a new 'slow release' method of feeding smile



Now we just need steady cold weather to get some hard water!

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We had just over 1.8 inches rain in two days. Ponds have reached highest pool in 5 months, but still a long way to go until full.

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I sat up on the hill next to the pond with my 22 mag waiting on the Otter that is feeding at the pond. Set another conibar trap and plan on setting another. I don't like River Otters and or Beavers at my place! I watched the feeders go off and the fish are still pretty active when feeding. Not a 100% but still more than enough to feed. Don't see any bass or hsb feeding at the feeder. I did see a few feed around the pond. I stopped my hand feeding the Aquamax lmb food due to little interest in it.

Last edited by TGW1; 12/17/18 10:29 AM.

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That's interesting, Tracy. I haven't seen my beaver in months, nor fallen grass or gnawed trees. Wonder if it headed for greener pastures?

I'm feeding the Optimal Bass pellets and get a pretty good response on sunny warm (highs above 55) days, mostly from LMB and HSB. A few of the large CNBG hang around, too, but no little guys. Maybe too many predators for anything less than 9 inches to safely hang around the feeder.

One thing I've noticed is that the fish seem much more active on sunny afternoons than cloudy ones, even when air temps are the same. Guess sunlight warms up the water well beyond what the air does. In summer, cloudy days are best.


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




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My hand feeding the lmb and hsb is something I enjoy. I have not checked water temps recently but in the past two weeks the lmb and hsb feeding dropped off big time to where only one or two are eating the aquamax lmb feed. I am hoping it's the water temps, most likely in the low 50's, and not the River Otters reducing the fish numbers. If past experiences with the otters compares to now then I suspect there are several hanging around. I did reduce the numbers of Otters by one yesterday. Trapping continues. As far as the beavers, I found some small trees cut down back behind the big pond in a smaller pool of water. They are building a dam to stop the pool from draining after rain events. I may let that dam building continue, it might make a good forage pond someday.


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In my experience with otters last winter, they only went after the sluggish CC. I didn't see any significant kills of LMB or BG. They go after the easy stuff first.

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John, I don't have any cats but suspect they have been dining on Tp lately and I'm guessing a few Bg based on the size fish scales I find in the Otter scat. I don't like Otters at the pond! Or Beavers.

I dug a ditch around the pond to divert rain water from the backside of the pond and in doing so it made a natural shallow pool where the beavers are now building a dam. It looks promising other than when I built the big pond, it's in the same area where I ran out of clay. So I'm not so sure if I dig it two foot deeper than it already is will it hold water year round. I think it is a sandy loam with a small amount of clay in it. it would be a good area for a forage pond with lots of water from the run off. The beaver dam got me to thinking lol

Last edited by TGW1; 12/19/18 12:59 PM.

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Originally Posted By: TGW1
John, I don't have any cats but suspect they have been dining on Tp lately and I'm guessing a few Bg based on the size fish scales I find in the Otter scat. I don't like Otters at the pond! Or Beavers.

I dug a ditch around the pond to divert rain water from the backside of the pond and in doing so it made a natural shallow pool where the beavers are now building a dam. It looks promising other than when I built the big pond, it's in the same area where I ran out of clay. So I'm not so sure if I dig it two foot deeper than it already is will it hold water year round. I think it is a sandy loam with a small amount of clay in it. it would be a good area for a forage pond with lots of water from the run off. The beaver dam got me to thinking lol


How much do the beavers charge by the cubic yard?


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




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"It Depends" We have all herd that before smile


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Originally Posted By: TGW1
"It Depends" We have all herd that before smile


grin

Saw a large, mature bald eagle in a tree next to my dock. Flew off when I got close, a beautiful sight with the full moon reflecting off the water in the background.

Fish couldn't get enough feed. Seems like sunny days are the key, more than air temps.


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




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I am really jealous of you Texas folks getting to enjoy some pond activity this time of year! I put my boat on the pond today and busted 1" ice so I could finish some brush pile work.
It did make 55 deg today so not bad for NW KS.. 15 is more common this time of year so I'll quit complaining now..

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Well, Snipe, I admire you for doing useful habitat enhancement despite the ice. That's gonna pay off when it gets warmer.

I've ice fished twice. The first time was on Lake Erie & I almost froze the death, coldest I've ever been in my life. Second time was on a farm pond during a winter warm spell and the ice gave way so I took an unexpected frigid bath. Not for me!


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




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Bald Eagles are majestic birds for sure. And I can relate Frank. Year before last I drove up to the pond and found one setting on top of one of my Wood duck boxes. A site to see and would have made a great picture for Pond Boss Magazine. But after him hanging around for 90 days or so I was ready for him to leave. My thinking was, if he two pounds of fish per day that's 180 lbs of fish gone out of my pond. Thinking about what Bob Lusk says, Nature will step in when it needs to. Such as fish kills, or bringing in Bald Eagles, River otters, or like the Osprey that showed up this year. OH! caught another Otter yesterday, that's two this week.

And snipe, it's supposed to reach 68 to 70 degrees today. I am close to Franks place. And it's kinda unusual for this time of year. I like fishing up north of here but I wait till things are thawed before I head north. Even with me being a fish-a-holic I have no desire to fish through the ice smile Call me a snowbird if you like smile


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If we could get those fish stealers to eat only the fish we wanted to cull..........if only! grin


Last edited by snrub; 12/22/18 08:09 AM.

John

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Wish we could train eagles to eat otters...


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




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Slow fishing, caught 3 HSB and 1 CNBG in two hours. No LMB whatsoever, a first. On the plus side, my granddaughter caught the new pond record CNBG, 10 1/2 inches.


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




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Congrats to your grand daughter and new pond record!! That's a nice cnbg. Just for something different I have tried a red rattle trap type bait for 3 days during the feeding area when the feeder goes off and not the first strike from any lmb. Even tried my little beetlespin type bait with a small plastic behind it with no luck. That and a wacky worm has been my go to baits on my pond but no luck at all lately. Oh well, maybe they are just getting fat on cnbg and I will catch them next spring.


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Fish are still feeding on my place


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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My cnbg are also feeding Dave, but not so much with my feed trained lmb or hsb. I trapped a beaver today that was so big all he could get into the conibar 330 trap was his head and neck. Hugh beaver! So far this week of trapping got me two R. Otters and this beaver. The trapping continues.


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It got down to 14 degrees overnight last week just northeast of the St. Louis area and our ponds are looking good. We raised the depth early in the Spring of 2018 by about 2 feet in one pond and about 3 feet in another but they did not fill as last year (2017) was very dry and all ponds spent the second half of the year well below the "old" full pool level.

I decided to leave the battery in the TX Hunter LM-135 that we have set up this winter after taking it inside last winter. I spoke to Cody at TX Hunter and he recommended that I set the feeder to run for 10 seconds in the middle of each day just to keep the motors running a little and prevent debris or critters from getting up into the blower hole. Makes sense to me. Giving it a try.

Drove around all three ponds that are currently under management and looked at a fourth we are considering paying more attention too next year. Need to add quite a bit more brushy cover in the 1.5 acre BOW we have been managing for the last 2+ years as well as add a few 5X3 Georgia Cubes. Some issues will need to be addressed, of course, at all three BOWs so my "to do" list is sitting at about the max of what I can reasonably expect to accomplish during 2019.

Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year. May all your pond dreams come true in the coming year. BM61.

Last edited by bassmaster61; 12/24/18 11:40 AM.

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I got the beejeeses scared out of me this evening while feeding. Haven't seen hide nor hair of any of my 3 LMB in over a month, until one of them decided to make and appearance...right at my feet in 6" of water. Threw water all over my legs when it busted some unfortunate panfish's butt.

That's so dang cool!


.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!!
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