I would say that Brad and Tom do not have problems. Most of my customers would give their left foot to have clear water. In Brad's case, the clear water is probably a result of the Coontail, and in Tom's case it is a result of springs and Chara (Muskgrass). Hi Tom! These are both effective types of water filtering vegetation that should not be killed off. They also provide shelter for forage fish in the pond/lake. If you fertilize and reduce the water clarity, you will kill the bottom vegetation and reduce cover for the forage. I know that in Tom's area the fertility of the water is plenty high, and the only spot in Illinois that has significantly low fertility is far southern. Usually, in Illinois and Wisconsin you are better off concentrating on your forage base and habitat than you are on fertility.
Mike Robinson
Keystone Hatcheries
