Pond Goals 2008

**Chad** · 03-12-2008, 10:57 AM

If you manage a pond (or several

) in Nebraska, what are your goals for 2008?

I would just like to better understand the habitat and fish populations by late spring, draft a plan for restoring balance by early summer, and be actively implementing the plan by early fall.

Shorty · 03-12-2008, 11:22 AM

Goals for 2008 are weed control and to continue managing for big bass until the pond is sold. I will need to do an assessment after ice out on how last years extremely good weed management changed the predator prey dynamics, there were fewer hiding spots for last years young of the year and the LMB may have been too effective preying on smaller fish. The pond may need more LMB harvested this year for this reason.

Aquaman · 03-12-2008, 11:34 AM

Shorty, if that property gets sold I hope you'll spend some time helping me on my pond. I could really use your expertise.

I will definitely need some help on my Dad's pond this year.

My goals are:

Raise at least three bluegill over two pounds.

Find a really good source of smallmouth YOY.

Feed train some more redears.

Build a new small pond above my Dad's pond.

Control the vegetation in my Dad's pond.

hav2hunt · 03-12-2008, 11:39 AM

I would like to see some of the walleye that I stocked last summer and fall get really fat on some of the 4"-5" crappies I pulled through the ice. I am going to order a "bug zapper/fish feeder" to suspend over the pond to try and fatten up some of the hybrid 'gills I stocked in 05'. We put in a POWERHOUSE aereator late last summer so I'm anxiuos to see if the overall water quality will be improved this year.

Shorty · 03-12-2008, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Shorty, if that property gets sold I hope you'll spend some time helping me on my pond. I could really use your expertise.

I would love to Aquaman.

Aquaman · 03-12-2008, 11:55 AM

Awesome!

I think I'm less than two years away from some really good fishing. I'd give you full time permission in a hearbeat. Smallmouth are high on my list right now. REALLY high on the list.

**Chad** · 03-12-2008, 12:21 PM

Shorty, do you own the pond that is being sold? Will you get another?

hav2hunt, tell us a little bit more about your pond. Pics?

Bruce, 2lb BG are a myth... Duh!

Shorty · 03-12-2008, 01:29 PM

Chad, PM sent.

hav2hunt · 03-12-2008, 02:26 PM

Seeing all these avatars of big 'gills it reminded me of a goal to stock some more of these this spring.

Aquaman · 03-12-2008, 03:01 PM

That's an exceptional fish! How big was it?

hav2hunt · 03-12-2008, 03:18 PM

That 'gill was 10-1/2" and weighed 1lb. 6oz. It was over 6 inches from top to bottom. A friend and I put about 2 dozen of them in my pond over the last couple of years, The largest of them being a 11-1/4" behemoth.

Frosch · 03-12-2008, 06:42 PM

Nice Gill! I can only dream of having a pond at the moment, so my pond goal for 08 is to get permission to fish a good one.

**Chad** · 03-12-2008, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frosch

Nice Gill! I can only dream of having a pond at the moment, so my pond goal for 08 is to get permission to fish a good one.

Or permission to manage one.

houghty26 · 03-12-2008, 09:29 PM

Pray that heavy snow on the ice all winter didn't wreak havoc with winterkill.

hav2hunt · 03-13-2008, 02:19 PM

Here is the only picture that I currently have of the pond and it was after about 4" of rain. So far I have stocked the following fish:

Walleye
Perch
Crappie
Bluegill
Georgia Giant Hybrid
White Bass
1 Wiper (about 5#)

Channel Cats

[/IMG]

hav2hunt · 03-14-2008, 09:45 AM

Sorry, here is the pond pic

BPbowhunter · 03-15-2008, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chad

Bruce, 2lb BG are a myth... Duh!

Myth?!?!?! I think not!!

Aquaman · 03-16-2008, 12:58 AM

BPbowhunter, it's really cold out and I've got cabin fever. Will you please, pretty please, tell me a little more about that fish and that picture?

BPbowhunter · 03-16-2008, 01:56 PM

Lets see, I was probably about 6 or 7 when the picture was taken. I caught that gill on Hackberry on the Valentine Refuge. It measured just over 12" and weighed right around 2lbs. maybe just a hair under.

Crappie&Eyes · 03-19-2008, 01:15 AM

I make some awesome looking artificial structure for pond owners. Most of the time, the only thing I charge is a WRITTEN PERMISSION SLIP!

03-12-2008, 10:57 AM	#1 (permalink)
Chad Director Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Gone Fishin' Posts: 6,458 Thanks: 58 Thanked 66 Times in 41 Posts	Pond Goals 2008 If you manage a pond (or several ) in Nebraska, what are your goals for 2008? I would just like to better understand the habitat and fish populations by late spring, draft a plan for restoring balance by early summer, and be actively implementing the plan by early fall. __________________ *To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.*

03-12-2008, 11:22 AM	#2 (permalink)
Shorty Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: on the water near Lincoln Posts: 1,417 Thanks: 3 Thanked 12 Times in 6 Posts	Goals for 2008 are weed control and to continue managing for big bass until the pond is sold. I will need to do an assessment after ice out on how last years extremely good weed management changed the predator prey dynamics, there were fewer hiding spots for last years young of the year and the LMB may have been too effective preying on smaller fish. The pond may need more LMB harvested this year for this reason. __________________ The best thing you can stock your tackle box with is confidence.

03-12-2008, 11:34 AM	#3 (permalink)
Aquaman 2008 Catch & Continue Runner Up Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Midwest U.S. Posts: 859 Thanks: 50 Thanked 34 Times in 14 Posts	Shorty, if that property gets sold I hope you'll spend some time helping me on my pond. I could really use your expertise. I will definitely need some help on my Dad's pond this year. My goals are: Raise at least three bluegill over two pounds. Find a really good source of smallmouth YOY. Feed train some more redears. Build a new small pond above my Dad's pond. Control the vegetation in my Dad's pond. __________________ I'm gonna come at you like a spider monkey! --Texas Ranger

03-12-2008, 11:55 AM	#6 (permalink)
Aquaman 2008 Catch & Continue Runner Up Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Midwest U.S. Posts: 859 Thanks: 50 Thanked 34 Times in 14 Posts	Awesome! I think I'm less than two years away from some really good fishing. I'd give you full time permission in a hearbeat. Smallmouth are high on my list right now. REALLY high on the list. __________________ I'm gonna come at you like a spider monkey! --Texas Ranger

03-12-2008, 12:21 PM	#7 (permalink)
Chad Director Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Gone Fishin' Posts: 6,458 Thanks: 58 Thanked 66 Times in 41 Posts	Shorty, do you own the pond that is being sold? Will you get another? hav2hunt, tell us a little bit more about your pond. Pics? Bruce, 2lb BG are a myth... Duh! __________________ *To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.*

03-12-2008, 11:39 AM	#4 (permalink)
hav2hunt 2008 Catch and Continue Finalist Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Grand Island Posts: 125 Thanks: 3 Thanked 5 Times in 3 Posts	I would like to see some of the walleye that I stocked last summer and fall get really fat on some of the 4"-5" crappies I pulled through the ice. I am going to order a "bug zapper/fish feeder" to suspend over the pond to try and fatten up some of the hybrid 'gills I stocked in 05'. We put in a POWERHOUSE aereator late last summer so I'm anxiuos to see if the overall water quality will be improved this year.

03-12-2008, 01:29 PM	#8 (permalink)
Shorty Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: on the water near Lincoln Posts: 1,417 Thanks: 3 Thanked 12 Times in 6 Posts	Chad, PM sent. __________________ The best thing you can stock your tackle box with is confidence.

03-12-2008, 02:26 PM	#9 (permalink)
hav2hunt 2008 Catch and Continue Finalist Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Grand Island Posts: 125 Thanks: 3 Thanked 5 Times in 3 Posts	Seeing all these avatars of big 'gills it reminded me of a goal to stock some more of these this spring.

03-12-2008, 03:01 PM	#10 (permalink)
Aquaman 2008 Catch & Continue Runner Up Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Midwest U.S. Posts: 859 Thanks: 50 Thanked 34 Times in 14 Posts	That's an exceptional fish! How big was it? __________________ I'm gonna come at you like a spider monkey! --Texas Ranger

03-12-2008, 03:18 PM	#11 (permalink)
hav2hunt 2008 Catch and Continue Finalist Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Grand Island Posts: 125 Thanks: 3 Thanked 5 Times in 3 Posts	That 'gill was 10-1/2" and weighed 1lb. 6oz. It was over 6 inches from top to bottom. A friend and I put about 2 dozen of them in my pond over the last couple of years, The largest of them being a 11-1/4" behemoth.

03-12-2008, 06:42 PM	#12 (permalink)
Frosch Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: omaha Certified Youth Fishing Instructor Posts: 1,154 Thanks: 17 Thanked 17 Times in 12 Posts	Nice Gill! I can only dream of having a pond at the moment, so my pond goal for 08 is to get permission to fish a good one. __________________ I fished open water today.

03-12-2008, 09:29 PM	#14 (permalink)
houghty26 Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Nebraska City, NE Posts: 667 Thanks: 3 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Pray that heavy snow on the ice all winter didn't wreak havoc with winterkill. __________________ Treble hook survivor.

03-13-2008, 02:19 PM	#15 (permalink)
hav2hunt 2008 Catch and Continue Finalist Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Grand Island Posts: 125 Thanks: 3 Thanked 5 Times in 3 Posts	Here is the only picture that I currently have of the pond and it was after about 4" of rain. So far I have stocked the following fish: Walleye Perch Crappie Bluegill Georgia Giant Hybrid White Bass 1 Wiper (about 5#) Channel Cats [/IMG]

03-14-2008, 09:45 AM	#16 (permalink)
hav2hunt 2008 Catch and Continue Finalist Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Grand Island Posts: 125 Thanks: 3 Thanked 5 Times in 3 Posts	Sorry, here is the pond pic

03-16-2008, 12:58 AM	#18 (permalink)
Aquaman 2008 Catch & Continue Runner Up Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Midwest U.S. Posts: 859 Thanks: 50 Thanked 34 Times in 14 Posts	BPbowhunter, it's really cold out and I've got cabin fever. Will you please, pretty please, tell me a little more about that fish and that picture? __________________ I'm gonna come at you like a spider monkey! --Texas Ranger

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03-16-2008, 01:56 PM	#19 (permalink)
BPbowhunter 2007 NEFGA Outdoorsman Of The Year Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Broken Bow Posts: 2,510 Thanks: 8 Thanked 32 Times in 24 Posts	Lets see, I was probably about 6 or 7 when the picture was taken. I caught that gill on Hackberry on the Valentine Refuge. It measured just over 12" and weighed right around 2lbs. maybe just a hair under. __________________ Whackin' Woodies Waterfowl Crew "Look, a pair of singles!"

03-19-2008, 01:15 AM	#20 (permalink)
Crappie&Eyes Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: On the water in KS or NE Posts: 372 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	I make some awesome looking artificial structure for pond owners. Most of the time, the only thing I charge is a WRITTEN PERMISSION SLIP! __________________ Fish Hard, Hunt Safe, & Take A Kid With You! Greg

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