tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012091795932325815.post758234875107388465..comments2018-11-29T21:54:37.049-06:00Comments on Watch Out For The Bull: Trying to Improve the Fishing in Stock PondsRichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11412944120622315804noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012091795932325815.post-10634645267542309522014-08-26T14:12:06.962-05:002014-08-26T14:12:06.962-05:00I've read some stuff about managing farm ponds...I've read some stuff about managing farm ponds and a lot of them seem to go way overboard with some of what they suggest is absolutely needed to have fish in a pond. <br /><br />I've read that you have to balance the pH, lime the ponds, fertilize the ponds, build elaborate underwater structures, micro-manage how big the fish taken out of the pond are (only under 13". only between 13" and 16", only over 16"), don't let cattle get anywhere close to the pond, etc. All of that sounds like too much work and worry to me.<br /><br />Since I can get my hands on a bunch of these barrels, so I'm planning on building a bunch of simple barrel structures, putting them in the pond to take some of the bust out of the boom and bust fish cycle, and I'm going to take credit for each and every big fish caught for the next thirty years. <br /><br />As in, "You know, if it wasn't for all the sweat and swearing I put into building those fish habitat barrels back in 2014, you wouldn't have even had the chance to catch that big fish you just caught". <br /><br />The beauty of the whole thing is that even if they don't work at all, I can still take credit for all the fish caught. Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11412944120622315804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012091795932325815.post-61010079988146593892014-08-26T08:33:49.467-05:002014-08-26T08:33:49.467-05:00My parents probably have a good dozen and a half p...My parents probably have a good dozen and a half ponds that I've been fishing on and off for over four decades. The one solid idea I have over that time is that life in a farm pond is cyclic. Ponds that were great fishing will gradually fade away into pour fishing. Ponds that I never had any luck at a decade ago will suddenly have really good fishing. <br /><br />I suspect that due to the small nature of ponds as an ecosystem, they have trouble finding a balance. There will be an overcrowding of large fish after a period of time which will make it good fishing but unsustainable. Eventually the large fish eat out all the offspring and there is a large die back that takes many years to come back from. <br /><br />We used to try stocking ponds and doing more to induce good sustainable fishing like introducing grass carp and creating fish habitat. Everything seemed pretty useless compared to just letting nature take its course and balance things out with time. I for the most part try to hit the ponds more often even if the last time I swore there wasn't a fish in the thing just in case the fishing has returned to hot status.Edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13214319366049620074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012091795932325815.post-83441606105061176972014-08-24T14:50:43.174-05:002014-08-24T14:50:43.174-05:00These ponds have always had fish in them, they wer...These ponds have always had fish in them, they were originally stocked before I was born, I helped Grandpa restock them when I was about 13, and it can't hurt to improve them a little bit if I can. After all, I wouldn't have been able to fish in those ponds as a kid if someone hadn't made the effort to stock them years before. <br /><br />A good pond filled with fish should be like a garden or an orchard, a little bit of work once in awhile and it should be good for both fishing just for the heck of it and the makings of a fish fry for year after year. <br /><br />It's also the ultimate sustainable food supply; fun to catch, good to eat, and almost no inputs or work required.Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11412944120622315804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012091795932325815.post-79180744630422587422014-08-24T08:18:17.039-05:002014-08-24T08:18:17.039-05:00Neat!
And what's your goal with your fishing ...Neat!<br /><br />And what's your goal with your fishing ponds? Place for you and friends/family to fish?Pat, Marcus & Alexishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13097254988446524947noreply@blogger.com