Pond Boss regional meeting

Wow, what a group of people with ponds. I attended the regional meeting today hoping to learn a little about fish. I came away with some new friends and quite a bit of knowledge. We went to see two ponds that have not filled. I wish there was a way to redevelop the structure of a pond without removing the water. I discussed the ability to fluctuate the water levels with Bob Lusk. He told me the spawning habits of fish in these situations. The fish want to fill up the newly enlarged pond with a larger spawn. Lowering the pond then shrinks the size and concentrates the forage fish. This leads to larger predators due to increased food. In short, the largemouth bass get bigger faster and could get bigger overall. I believe a project may be in the works this summer so that I can try the principle. The flood would occur just before spawn to open up new spawning areas and flood terrestrial plants for cover. The water would be allowed to drop to the original pond level after the spawn to concentrate all of the new forage. A few bags of concrete, some 2x4's, and a pile of compacted clay in the back should be enough to dam the water in the spillway creek. If it works, then a stronger concrete structure with a penstock may take its place. A big thank you to Chris Steelman and Frank Peeples for having us at their places