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Started By
Message
Fertilizing a pond?
Posted on 4/14/11 at 12:26 pm
Posted on 4/14/11 at 12:26 pm
Anyone on here ever done this? My husband is thinking about fertilizing our 1/2 acre pond. We have bream and bass(he caught a 7lb. female last weekend), but the bites are few and far between and most of the fish are small.
I'm not sold on the fertilizing, and am curious if anyone has experience or could share their results if they've done it.
TIA.
I'm not sold on the fertilizing, and am curious if anyone has experience or could share their results if they've done it.
TIA.
6
Posted on 4/14/11 at 12:36 pm to TigerNAtux
What exactly are you looking to fertilize?
Are you talking about stocking?
Are you talking about stocking?
This post was edited on 4/14/11 at 12:37 pm
Posted on 4/14/11 at 12:36 pm to TigerNAtux
It helps.
But not instantly.
It's fertilizing the aquatic vegitation which in turn helps out all the microorganisms, which in turn helps out all the small baitfish who eat the microorganism, which in turn eventually helps feed the bigger fish that eat the small baitfish.
But not instantly.
It's fertilizing the aquatic vegitation which in turn helps out all the microorganisms, which in turn helps out all the small baitfish who eat the microorganism, which in turn eventually helps feed the bigger fish that eat the small baitfish.
quote:
It's the circle of life!
Posted on 4/14/11 at 12:37 pm to Clyde Tipton
If the majority of the fish are small, it sounds like a case of overpopulation to me.
Posted on 4/14/11 at 12:40 pm to SCUBABlake
I agree they should address that first but she did say bites are few and far between so who knows.
Posted on 4/14/11 at 12:41 pm to Clyde Tipton
In a 1/2 acre pond fertilizing is going to cause more trouble in the long run than it's worth imo. It will get overgrown in a matter of a year or two and will basically be unfishable.
This post was edited on 4/14/11 at 12:43 pm
Posted on 4/14/11 at 12:43 pm to SCUBABlake
quote:
If the majority of the fish are small, it sounds like a case of overpopulation to me.
The water is very clear, and there is lots of vegetation in the bottom, plus several swampy areas with trees that are impossible to fish.
Most bass we catch are less than a pound. A few years ago, hand-sized bream would swim up to the bank to take the bait. Now we never see them.
I worry if we fertilize we may make the problem worse.
Posted on 4/14/11 at 12:47 pm to TigerNAtux
My suggestion is call the Lsu AgCenter. They would have much more knowledge then any of us. They may even come out there and look at the pond take some samples and do some research for you.
I know they do a lot of help with soil samples, so just give them a call and see what they say.
I know they do a lot of help with soil samples, so just give them a call and see what they say.
Posted on 4/14/11 at 12:48 pm to TigerNAtux
It definitely sounds like the pond is overpopulated. Go to Wal-Mart and buy some oil and beer. Time for a fish fry.
Posted on 4/14/11 at 12:48 pm to TigerNAtux
Start taking bass out, at about a rate of 10-20 per year under 12" and over 18". Try that out and see if it helps the overall population. You will have a bunch of mid-range sized bass that are fun to catch and perfect for the frying pan. This year, I'd take out 30.
If you fertilize it could really throw off the balance of the pond.
The best thing to do, if you're willing to spend the money, is to get a fisheries biologist out there to take a look at it. He will tell you what, if anything, needs to be done.
But the way that you said you're catching a lot of small fish points to overpopulation to me.
If you fertilize it could really throw off the balance of the pond.
The best thing to do, if you're willing to spend the money, is to get a fisheries biologist out there to take a look at it. He will tell you what, if anything, needs to be done.
But the way that you said you're catching a lot of small fish points to overpopulation to me.
This post was edited on 4/14/11 at 12:49 pm
Posted on 4/14/11 at 12:51 pm to TigerNAtux
quote:Sounds to me like it's not deep enough.
The water is very clear, and there is lots of vegetation in the bottom, plus several swampy areas with trees that are impossible to fish.
Posted on 4/14/11 at 12:52 pm to Geauxtiga
That's a whole nother animal there...
Posted on 4/14/11 at 12:54 pm to SCUBABlake
Thanks for the advice. I may get someone to have a look from Mississippi State Ag since I'm in MS.
Posted on 4/14/11 at 12:55 pm to TigerNAtux
If they don't do it, there are some private people out there that will do it. Some do free or pretty cheap diagnostics.
Good luck, and report back!
Good luck, and report back!
Posted on 4/14/11 at 12:56 pm to Geauxtiga
quote:
Sounds to me like it's not deep enough.
It has some shallow areas, but it is very deep in some also. It got real low this past summer due to drought, but it's spring fed and never completely dries up.
Posted on 4/14/11 at 12:58 pm to TigerNAtux
quote:
It got real low this past summer due to drought,
did you have a fish kill? may seem like a dumb question, but these can occur without you really knowing. they don't always just float to the top like you often see.
but we had a massive one about 3 years ago. killed all of our big bass, cats, etc.
spent 2k restocking, killing pondweed, etc. etc. last year. headed to the pond soon after they drop their eggs to take out about 20-30 to keep the populations right.
if you do decide to restock, go with a 10-1 bream-bass ratio. that will keep the bass well fed and give the younguns plenty to catch as well.
This post was edited on 4/14/11 at 1:00 pm
Posted on 4/14/11 at 1:02 pm to SCUBABlake
quote:
did you have a fish kill?
Not that I know of. Didn't see any fish, but like you say that may not matter. We don't go down there everyday.
That's another funny thing. We've never had catfish in that pond. I've been told it's too cold because it's spring fed. Don't know how much truth there is to that though. No perch either, for that matter.
ETA: I just remembered something else. Turtles.
Pond used to be full of them. I've seen one this year.
This post was edited on 4/14/11 at 1:07 pm
Posted on 4/14/11 at 1:07 pm to TigerNAtux
quote:
I've been told it's too cold because it's spring fed.
hmmm... don't know about that with catfish. I do know they spawn when the water is warmer than most, I think 76 degrees +. If you're wanting to keep it strictly a bass pond, I wouldn't recommend putting catfish in there anyway, and ESPECIALLY not crappie. Crappie will eat everything in sight and compete with the bass too much for food.
We like to put coppernose bluegill in ours... They grow off faster and larger than most BG, and make great feed for the bass. And, like I said, great for the kids to catch too.
Also, as a general rule, we put in around 10 lbs of minnows per half acre in the spring. We normally get them when they are about to spawn, so we drop them in and practically double our minnow population. It's a great supplement to the bg that are already in there.
Posted on 4/14/11 at 1:07 pm to TigerNAtux
quote:
ETA: I just remembered something else. Turtles.
Pond used to be full of them. I've seen one this year.
that's good, overall.
I turtle can eat well over its body weight in fish a day. Take a .22 and plunk 'em in the head when you see 'em.
Posted on 4/14/11 at 1:11 pm to SCUBABlake
Maybe the turtles left because they've nearly cleaned it out... 
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