The strings are to keep the Cormorants out of the pond - seems to work pretty well and less labor intense than a large deep sea fishing net I was using before that.
Yes- I am feeding the minnows 3 times a week with some Purina Fish Chow ground up in a blender.
No other fish raised there except the minnows, mosquito fish, and crawdads.
The 2/3 acre pond next to this small pond looked like that the first year it filled and never since then.
The only other thing I can think of is there is a fairly new house a 100 yards up the hill that is on a newer style septic system - but I never smelled any sewage odor or noticed any wetness in the ground from the pond clear up to this house.
