The Bluegill Diaries.....Loch, Stock, and big as a barrel........ Someday!

[Tony Livingston]

This blog will be an attempt on my part to document my family's attempt to grow consistent numbers of big Bluegill, which in this case will mean fish that weigh one pound or over. The key words here being "consistent numbers". Think of the times you have seen a photo of a smiling angler holding up a single, colossal Bluegill. There's certainly nothing wrong with that, after all it was his or her skill as an angler that lead to that memorable catch, and they should be justifiably proud of the achievement.

Our efforts however, are directed towards growing a quantity of larger fish, and if need be we are willing to sacrifice the ultimate size potential of a few specimens, so that a greater number of our fish may achieve a smaller, but still well above average size. I suspect that the techniques and methods needed to produce a quantity of bigger-than-normal Bluegill are applicable in many private ponds and lakes across the country, requiring only a modest monetary investment,  diligence, and some hands-on input from the pondowner.

Simply stated, our ideal scenario is one in which we can catch 20 Bluegill, and at least 14 of those fish will weigh between a pound, and a pound and a quarter. The remaining 6 fish should not weigh less than 14 ozs. This should be fairly easy to achieve, and in fact we are very close now. The next logical question concerns whether or not this ratio can be maintained, and still allow for a modest harvest. This is an area my family and I will be exploring in the near future.

So, to begin, an introduction to my family's ponds!

 

[Tony Livingston]

Jeffrey, I have seen a few winters where fishable ice never materialized, or if it did it only lasted for a few days. I am at the very southernmost edge of the ice belt, so it is by no means guaranteed. However, I believe this is only the second winter that I haven't been able to get on at least one time. I don't anticipate any drastic changes to the Springtime fishing, aside from perhaps an early start to the season, depending on water temps.

Leo, I have pondered everything from strapping planks to my feet to distribute my weight, to building a hovercraft to fish from! Truth be told, I might've been able to take a rowboat out on it today, and I half-heartedly attempted it but the shore ice was really soft. If I had drug the boat out onto a dock and put on there, maybe it would've held up.

41 degrees and rising right now......

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

When was the last year you didn't get good ice Tony? Does that have any affect on the Spring fishing.....good or bad......Thanks

[Leo Nguyen]

New project during winter period.."Connect-a-bridge" like the lego pieces that float above the pond for fishing duringeinter..sll you need are 55gal drums/tires, and planks..simple but fun for all ages.

[Tony Livingston]

STILL not able to fish! I had hoped to get out this week and catch a few, but the weather simply refused to cooperate. All of our ponds are still iced over, but the thickness has only increased by about 1/2", giving us a total of about 1.5"....too thin to get out on. Hopefully, It will warm up and melt off this week and I'll be able to fish open water for next week's update. (I've given up hope that it will freeze thick enough to allow any ice fishing. There's always next year!)

Here's a couple pics from today, showing what looks like open water. Don't be fooled, what looks open is actually ice that has melted on top, leaving a smooth surface covered with a skim of water. The ice is still over an inch thick underneath it.

[Leo Nguyen]

Beautiful scenery. What herbicides and targeted plant species are you using in the pond? I may shed some light on what natural approach in controlling them. I read on Pond Boss that people has a problem with eutrophification of common water grass. Not sure if you're facing the same way.

[Jeffrey D. Abney]

Good information Tony and I'm not maintaining a pond......Still no safe ice on 1/15/12.....

[Tony Livingston]

Another short update this week, as Mother Nature and Old Man Winter have combined forces to put a halt on most outdoor, pond related activities. What we tend to do this time of year is take stock of supplies and equipment, to see what we need to  buy or repair in order to be ready when warmer weather arrives.

Some typical winter chores might consist of:

Inspecting the floating dock, now that its pulled up on shore, replacing any damaged deck boards and tightening fasteners.

Going over the floating fish cages, replacing the damaged floats and making sure there are no holes in the mesh, or netting. These will be in use as soon as the water warms enough to permit safe handling of the fish.

Take stock of any chemicals used in and around the pond. The use of aquatic herbicides can be a hotly debated topic in its own right, but I will talk more about that in a future post.

Perform any required maintenance or repair to the compressor used in the aeration system. Also clean or replace the diffusers.

Inspect the dams, cutting brush off the backsides, making sure all spillpipes are open and in good shape. Making sure also to keep emergency spillways maintained, and any erosion filled in with rip-rap, or appropriate media. Check for tunneling into dam, caused by Muskrats or other burrowing animals.

Develop a stocking plan for the upcoming season, as far as how many and what species we wish to include. Once decided, locate a source for said fish. A good example of this is our desire to include Hybrid Striped Bass into a few of our ponds this Spring. These fish are not at all unusual for this area, but neither are they commonly found at our local hatcheries. (Hatcheries usually buy these fish from a supplier and resell them to the public) I have located a source who should have the fish available early April. There will probably be a limited supply, so better to get on their list now, rather than wait and possibly miss out. We will be stocking more HBG, (of course!) but they are readily obtainable.

That's all for this week, not very exciting but never fear.... we have some good stuff lined up when warmer weather gets here! I leave you this week with a couple pics, showing 3 of our ponds in winter, and the reason I am not fishing right now.... too thin to walk on, and too thick to cast through.

[Tony Livingston]

Wow, the link that Bruce posted really takes me back! I was a lurker on Pondboss for many years, studying every piece of info about BG that I could find. I read everything that was posted by Bruce, Cecil, Bill, Theo, Eric, and a host of others. I was there, lurking in the shadows during the infamous Georgia Giant debacle, which fostered my current curiosity involving HBG. I watched Bruce's fish grow into giants, and I applauded when the honorary title of "Condello strain" was given to them. I still post on Pondboss quite a bit.

What little knowledge I may possess is  due in no small part to the work of Bruce, and a host of other professionals who have put the time in to discover the answers, and are willing to share them with the rest of us.  I am indebted to all of these folks.

However, I don't feel we're short on talent around BBG either. We count outdoor writers among our ranks, some extraordinary taxidermists, a biologist or two, a couple engineers, A guy who works on submarines, (how cool is that!), a dedicated European style bank angler who knows more about putting several pounds of fish on the bank than I ever will, a pond consultant from Tennessee who gets PAID to work with fish, one guy's techniques are featured on TV, and there's always that dentist dude from Nebraska.

Add to that the most diverse and talented group of diehard Bluegill anglers ever to be found in one place and you've got a winning combination in my book. I have learned much from all of you, and I am grateful for your willingness to share.

 

[Leo Nguyen]

Thanks Bruce. MORE INFO!! Woo hoo!! Looks like I'll be contacting DFG locally to empower them with the info found. Hope the local boys will give me a hand in managing our gill's population.

[Bruce Condello]

This thread is so good, I don't want to sidetrack it, but here is a link to some information that is relevant to this thread.

 

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=606...