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Thread: Pond maintenance???

  1. #1
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    Default Pond maintenance???

    I recently purchased some property that575EEE9D-CB2F-40B5-A1E8-589742BFBFA8.jpg has a 1 acre pond. The pond was dug in the 90’s and stocked with bream and bass. Long story short, the previous owner died and the kids had no intrest in the property or any knowledge as far as what maintenance would be required.
    The pond is loaded with bream and my concern is aeration during this summer heat. It appears to be spring fed but has dropped about 8” over the last week withniut the rain. The old man did have a siphon running from a well down to the pond that I have restarted but not sure if it helps a lot.
    My question is 1) do I need to fertilize the pond 2) would I need an aerator??? Thanks for any help
    575EEE9D-CB2F-40B5-A1E8-589742BFBFA8.jpg

  2. #2
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    Is there no spillway?

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by MediaGuy View Post
    Is there no spillway?
    There is a 12” pipe that feeds into a large creek behind the pond dam.
    The water level is about 8” below the top of the spillway pipe.

  4. #4
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    Clemson has pond maintenance seminars every so often. You might look into aquatic plants to help with the oxygen and to save your banks. There are mixed reviews about aerators actually working that well. We had one off for 2 months an nothing happened.

  5. #5
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    Call kenny at Absolute aquatics in Gilbert. He can help with all. Put in my aereation system last year, did a great job!

  6. #6
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    Its had 20 or so years to have low O2 levels and kill fish.
    It doesnt appear to have done that.

    Therefore, quit worrying and start fishing. You can micromanage later...
    Ugh. Stupid people piss me off.

  7. #7
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    image.jpg

    Don’t know where everyone lives but figured I would post if anyone was interested. Act fast as today is the last day to register.
    Last edited by banded_mallard; 06-18-2018 at 09:22 AM.

  8. #8
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    Some ponds simply have "it" and some never will. You can spend boatloads to improve one mediocre pond and never see any lasting benefits. All while the really great pond down the road just keeps cranking out giants decade after decade with little to no "management" at all.

  9. #9
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    Thanks Banded Mallard, this place is actually just inside Saluda.
    I’m not looking for trophy fish, a youngster can come and catch 30 bream in 20 mins which is all I would ever hope for. I want the basic knowledge to know when the fish need to be harvested, what all the fertilizer is that the old man left behind and how to properly maintain. I was concerned when I noticed the water level below the spillway.

  10. #10
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    My pond is a water table pond with no in or out flow normally. I assumed all it took for a good fish pond was a hole with water in it and some stocked fish. It takes some attention keep it from being overrun with weeds and to keep the fish populations in balance. Paradoxically, fertilizer correctly applied helps keep the weeds in check. I also added some carp this year. You also need to take out a certain number of each type of fish each year, even if you have to throw them on the bank, to keep the pond healthy. Most of this stuff is readily available online, if you have the time to sort through and digest it all. I have a DNR pond biologist that helps me on the side. He does periodic water tests to keep everything in balance. I give him fishing access in return.

  11. #11
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    https://imgur.com/gallery/rLXP7gs
    The link is a video of what it looks like
    Thanks for the info palmetto, I was concerned when the water dropped but after reading, it seems to be common.
    The neighbor said that the old guy only let one person a year fish and I can assume that prob wasn’t enough. All the bass are 1lb and the bream seem to look like dinosaurs. When u walk the banks, they all follow you like a pack of dogs waiting to be fed.
    Last edited by PalmettoTrooper; 06-18-2018 at 08:06 PM.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by PalmettoTrooper View Post
    https://imgur.com/gallery/rLXP7gs
    The link is a video of what it looks like
    Thanks for the info palmetto, I was concerned when the water dropped but after reading, it seems to be common.
    The neighbor said that the old guy only let one person a year fish and I can assume that prob wasn’t enough. All the bass are 1lb and the bream seem to look like dinosaurs. When u walk the banks, they all follow you like a pack of dogs waiting to be fed.
    I will be glad to offer my bream catching services
    Houndsmen are born, not made

    Quote Originally Posted by 2thDoc View Post
    I STAND WITH DUCK CUTTER!
    Quote Originally Posted by JABIII View Post
    I knew it wasn't real because no dogbox...

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Duck cutter View Post
    I will be glad to offer my bream catching services
    Anytime my friend, rick will meet ya out there I’m sure

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by PalmettoTrooper View Post
    Anytime my friend, rick will meet ya out there I’m sure
    Now we talking!
    Houndsmen are born, not made

    Quote Originally Posted by 2thDoc View Post
    I STAND WITH DUCK CUTTER!
    Quote Originally Posted by JABIII View Post
    I knew it wasn't real because no dogbox...

  15. #15
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  16. #16
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    I have stayed in multiple Holiday Inn Express's, and I have a 4.5 year old little gal that helps with my research. We will fish for an hour (I cast, she "cranks") and we will give you an accurate assessment of your particular pond's situation (we will tell you how many we caught). All dinosaurs will be released
    Them that don't know him won't like him, and them that do sometimes won't know how to take him

    He ain't wrong, he's just different, and his pride won't let him do things to make you think he's right

    They don't put Championship rings on smooth hands

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by trkykilr View Post
    I have stayed in multiple Holiday Inn Express's, and I have a 4.5 year old little gal that helps with my research. We will fish for an hour (I cast, she "cranks") and we will give you an accurate assessment of your particular pond's situation (we will tell you how many we caught). All dinosaurs will be released
    Haha, u can keep all you catch. They will not bite worms, crickets or lures. Bring bread or cheese and it’s on! I’ve been catching a few and throwing them in the creek I have on the property. C060B52C-CB5C-485C-A2BA-21309D34D3C9.jpg

    In this heat, the bigger ones seem to be laying low but this is a pretty average size
    After spending time with cajunwannabe, my son don’t understand why all fish can’t be 5lb stripers
    B9542567-390B-464B-9F2F-CA9C4496793B.jpg

  18. #18
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    troop-=-the pond is keeping fish alive. dont worry about water levels or o2 at this point.

    www.pondboss.com used to be a good resource. check it out.

    maybe those fish are pellet trained but they damn sure will eat a cricket...at least mine do.

    sounds like you need to keep a lot of the bass. dont overthink it. manage it slowly. you cant screw it up (i doubt).
    Ugh. Stupid people piss me off.

  19. #19
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    I was fortunate to fish a really badass pond back in high school and college and got to talk to a biologist often when we were fishing. He told me once "you basically can't keep enough bass under 12 inches".

    Even though you aren't looking for a "trophy" pond, a pond full of little ones isn't doing anybody any good. Start keeping the little guys and you will see an improvement in quality.
    Member of the Tenth Legion Since 2004

  20. #20
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    I agree with keeping small bass. It goes against the belief that most people have, but when culling bass, you need to keep the 1 pound fish.

    But PalmettoTrooper didn't say anything that makes me think he has a bass problem. It sounds like they have a ton of small bream. So I suspect he has too many bream. Bream and bass help to keep each other in check if you have the right balance. But bream grow alot quicker than bass, so assuming you have a balanced pond, you need to keep more bream than bass.

    PT, Do some reading on bass and bream balance. And look at how much you should be taking out every year. With a one acre pond, it's not as many pounds as you think. Sounds like you need to thin it out a bit, but be prepared to turn that off.

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