|
|
Post by mnfish on Jan 26, 2017 8:37:23 GMT -6
I would love to start a private water discussion
|
|
|
|
Post by leexrayshady on Jan 26, 2017 9:05:20 GMT -6
do you want its own section fish?
|
|
|
|
Post by Foggy on Jan 26, 2017 9:56:31 GMT -6
Thowing these topic ideas out for consideration: (Food Plots) (Trees) (Lakes Ponds Water & Fishing) (Hunting) (DNR & MDDI) (Tractors, Guns, Equipment) (Pics and Game Camera) (Weather Health and General) (Jokes & Politics / Danger Zone).
I'd hate to see too many brackets......and yet too few makes it hard to find what you want. ^ This likely needs refinement.
I have seen on One Forum (tractorbynet) where only certain participants can go to read and post on certain topics. (for example DNR/MDDI, and Jokes & Politics / danger zone).
|
|
|
|
Post by mnfish on Jan 26, 2017 11:21:30 GMT -6
You guys know me...I am into the water stuff. Whatever works best for you Lee!
|
|
|
|
Post by Catscratch on Jan 26, 2017 13:12:33 GMT -6
I'm not feeding, but my parents are. I don't know what they feed but a supplement isn't needed. They gobble the stuff up but to honest channel-cats and bluegills aren't too picky.
I'm interested in feeding after I build a new dock and add some structure around it.
|
|
|
|
Post by mnfish on Jan 26, 2017 13:25:06 GMT -6
Bluegills and channel cats, like you stated, no issue. Black crappies on the other hand...tough. Especially adult crappies in an existing population in a pond. They are almost impossible to get on the pellets. At least today they are  Black crappies are the cornerstone for Northern PondLife management of small bodies of water here in MN. |
|
|
|
Post by Catscratch on Jan 26, 2017 13:57:33 GMT -6
I foresee getting crappie to eat pellets being very difficult! I've gotten predator fish to eat pellets in an aquarium, but only because there is NOTHING else to eat. Along those lines, could you tank raise crappie on pellets and then stock your pond with them? I believe if a group of fish find a food source the others might learn to eat it too.
Or, would it be easier to just grind your pellets smaller and feed the minnows? Create a better supply of natural food that you are feeding, eventually the nutrition you give the minnows will find it's way into the crappie.
|
|
|
|
Post by mnfish on Jan 26, 2017 15:57:45 GMT -6
Obviously you have some experience at this....AWESOME! The fish you harvest are proof of some great stuff and I would love to hear all your ideas! Population density will play a roll here as well as training or learned response. I have gotten black crappies to take pellets in one pond last season. I will see if it continues. Getting black crappies to take pellets directly and consistently, will be a game changer for us. 1 plus lb crappies will be the rule instead of the exception in these ponds
|
|
|
|
Post by Catscratch on Jan 26, 2017 23:04:53 GMT -6
Lol, the fish I harvest are proof that I'm lucky! I'm more than happy to share ideas though.
How did you get the crappie to take pellets?
|
|
|
|
Post by mnfish on Jan 26, 2017 23:19:12 GMT -6
Honestly I am not completely sure yet. It's a very small pond with A LOT of fish in it. Bluegills and yellow perch have been taking pellets for a couple of years in this pond. Introduced the BCP last summer and by fall they were taking pretty good. My guess is a learned response taught by the BG and YP. But it could also be super high fish densities and a lack of choice. Eat a pellet or die Got another pond all set up with the same situation for another test. We will see this summer if it works again. Assuming the pond does not winter kill....no f'ing sun makes aeration very difficult with a direct powered solar aerator.  |
|
|
|
Post by Catscratch on Jan 27, 2017 7:35:36 GMT -6
I wonder if you did a catch and release of pellet eating crappie into your new pond if they will teach that population to eat them? Or if they would revert back to normal?
I don't know anything about yellow perch but aren't bluegill suppose to be a great food species for crappie? The way they understand it is: they get to big for the crappie to eat so they can sustain a population with crappie (many minnow species will get decimated in a small crappie pond), they reproduce a lot so crappie always have baby bluegill to eat, and adult bluegill don't eat the same food source as crappie (small mouths) so there is no competition there. Is this true that you know of?
Direct solar? No battery?
|
|
|
|
Post by mnfish on Jan 27, 2017 20:46:29 GMT -6
I think that is a solid idea. It's like a group of educated fish teaching the other fish. Pail of them from one pond to another. IME here in MN, BG's can be a great source of food for BCP. If the pond has an established population on big BCP. BG's and BCP do share a good portion of the food chain, especially as juveniles. You got it with direct solar. Our system uses no batteries.
|
|
|
|
Post by Catscratch on Jan 27, 2017 22:31:06 GMT -6
Keep me posted on your experiments with using taught fish to teach fish. We can call it "fish school", or "schools of fish"... lol, maybe not.
Can you add a batery to the system? Might be worth it for the dreary period in the winter. Maybe a tractor battery or something that's in storage for the season.
|
|
|
|
Post by mnfish on Jan 28, 2017 1:17:29 GMT -6
Love the name...Fish School!
|
|
|
|
Post by Catscratch on Jan 28, 2017 8:23:04 GMT -6
So what is fishing like in mn land? What do you catch, when do you catch them, how big are they, etc.?
We catch a lot of bass, crappie, bluegill, channel-cats, flatheads. There are other fish around to, just not stuff that we target on a regular basis.
|
|
Black crappies are the cornerstone for Northern PondLife management of small bodies of water here in MN.