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Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 102 Likes: 11
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OP
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 102 Likes: 11 |
Indeed. Wow, this is just my introductory post, and I got a ton of info already. Thanks much!
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,414 Likes: 789
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,414 Likes: 789 |
From my customers experience with Laggis, don't stock his recommended amount of Largemouth if you go the LMB route. Even if you wanted a large panfish pond I wouldn't stock more than 100 to at the most 120 per surface acre.
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1 member likes this:
RAH |
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,110 Likes: 478
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,110 Likes: 478 |
Don't ever forget that most all retail pond fish farmers are in the business to sell more fish for more profit. It has been my experience that they usually sell you too many predator fish that require you to return to buy more forage fish. It is a business. IMO lots of fish retail farms like it when the customer comes in uneducated as to what is needed for the customers goals, if the customer even has any well thought out goals.
Also most fish farmers are pretty well versed at growing and handling small and stocker size fish. They have had lots of practice killing lots of stocker fish during their fish selling education. However, they are not necessarily experts at growing large and trophy fish for the proper density balance that IMPORTANTLY requires different management techniques and methods. THIS IS WHERE WE AT THE PB FORUM ARE EXPERIENCED EXPERTS. Very few retail fish farmers will ever take the time to explain how to properly manage the fishes that you buy. Usually they want you to buy predators, often too many predators, with the initial minnow forage stocking start-up, thus quickly the pond develops a forage fish SHORTAGE or the predators are not growing properly so you need to return for more minnow/forage fish. It is a money maker business to be aware of.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 12/25/22 11:25 AM.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,414 Likes: 789
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,414 Likes: 789 |
Don't ever forget that most all retail pond fish farmers are in the business to sell more fish for more profit. It has been my experience that they usually sell you too many predator fish that require you to return to buy more forage fish. It is a business. IMO lots of fish retail farms like it when the customer comes in uneducated as to what is needed for the customers goals, if the customer even has any well thought out goals.
Also most fish farmers are pretty well versed at growing and handling small and stocker size fish. They have had lots of practice killing lots of stocker fish during their fish selling education. However, they are not necessarily experts at growing large and trophy fish for the proper density balance that IMPORTANTLY requires different management techniques and methods. THIS IS WHERE WE AT THE PB FORUM ARE EXPERIENCED EXPERTS. Very few retail fish farmers will ever take the time to explain how to properly manage the fishes that you buy. Usually they want you to buy predators, often too many predators, with the initial minnow forage stocking start-up, thus quickly the pond develops a forage fish SHORTAGE or the predators are not growing properly so you need to return for more minnow/forage fish. It is a money maker business to be aware of. Exactly. I have found (especially in Mi) that sellers don't sell regular BG, just HBG to put with LMB. Laggis does not sell regular BG. HBG won't reproduce enough to feed the LMB in the pond.
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Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 102 Likes: 11
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OP
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 102 Likes: 11 |
Update on the pond construction. Another half day of bulldozing, and the grading will be complete. Some of the spoils dug out 6 months ago are still moist and sticky. The contractor got his bulldozer stuck a couple times. After reading all the posts in this forum about the need for clay soil, clay lifts, compaction, etc., I was completely paranoid about this pond holding water. It is a dug pond in loam/peat, and I am happy to say that it is holding water like a champ! No extra measures taken. It filled nicely over the winter and early spring to 11 feet deep, about 3 feet shy of the expected full pool. It lost only a couple inches during the current drought where we haven't had rain in 6 weeks. Some grasses are growing around the shore, and some mats of a submerged plant are starting to flourish. Can somebody give me a quick ID on the plant shown below? Edit: I will guess chara (muskgrass). It has some odor when crushed in my fingers, but not horrible.
Last edited by Knobber; 06/11/23 02:45 PM.
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,110 Likes: 478
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,110 Likes: 478 |
Yes - Chara is the plant. Very often the early invader of ponds.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
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1 member likes this:
Knobber |
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,861 Likes: 298
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,861 Likes: 298 |
Chara often indicates that grass shrimp would do well. Good food source for BG!
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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Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,881 Likes: 278
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Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,881 Likes: 278 |
Howdy Knobber, your pond looks great! Welcome to forum!. Yes - Chara is the plant. Very often the early invader of ponds. Bill, I've tried searching the answer to this question but have yet to find one. The question revolves around why some ponds tend to lose their chara. I've witnessed chara as the first invader first hand in multiple ponds around here. Its understandable as a first invader due to the fact that it does well in waters with low nitrogen levels. It's a symbiont with nitrogen fixing algae that grow as periphyton on it. This gives it an advantage over other submerged vegetation when nutrients are low in a pond's early life. I guess my question is why does chara lose the advantage? Around here it is replaced with Southern Naiad which I find less desirable. So what causes this? Shading, water chemistry, something else?
It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so - Will Rogers
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