Howboutthemdawgs
5 year old buck +
The Run Rabbit Run in Steamboat springs. I love running out west. Headed to Durango next Friday and going to run a good bit.
You ever run on your farm? I’ll run mine some in the off-season.
Catscratch House and Habitat build
- Thread starter Catscratch
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You ever run on your farm? I’ll run mine some in the off-season.
Howboutthemdawgs
5 year old buck +
Tell me about your lake. How big is it? Do you do any management? I’m trying to whip mine into shape but it always plays second fiddle to the land so it’s not going as well as I’d hoped. I have some erosion like you that is eating at me. I want to do rock like you!
Catscratch
5 year old buck +
I've never ran out west except for during the occasional vacation trip. Bet it's nice.
I run on our place all the time. I can get 4 miles in without switchbacks. I like to run the hilltops. Only obstacle is lazy cows.
Catscratch
5 year old buck +
Rock was the only thing I could think of to stop the erosion. Our south wind laps at the north bank constantly! Then you put cattle on it and they trample the vegetation and shallows.
I do a lot of pond management! Love to sink brush piles and whatnot. We've caught all our biggest fish out of habitat I've put in. Also fun to monitor forage species and remove slot fish. Just as rewarding as deer and quail habitat work, maybe more so!
I do a lot of pond management! Love to sink brush piles and whatnot. We've caught all our biggest fish out of habitat I've put in. Also fun to monitor forage species and remove slot fish. Just as rewarding as deer and quail habitat work, maybe more so!
Howboutthemdawgs
5 year old buck +
Do you stock forage fish still or do they reproduce enough to keep your fish fed? How about any lime or fertilizer? I had a small pond weed explosion this summer. I tossed some 2-4d pellets in July to help manage it from being impenetrable. My pond is only 2 acres and 3 years old so it’s in its infancy. I didn’t make it or stock it so I’m trying to undo some sins. I’ve removed 40 catfish so far this summer. I have crappie too unfortunately. Your pond is big enough to handle those buggers but mine isn’t I don’t think
Catscratch
5 year old buck +
Oh man, you guys are going to get me started down the pond rabbithole!
The "pond" is 19 acres at normal full level. 10ft deep in the main basin.
We have Golden Shiner. I love the things! They make great forage and they eat fish eggs (particularly bass eggs). They help both control bass populations and feed big bass. The less bass the better so that they don't have to compete for habitat and food. I'll fly fish for shiners a couple of times a year just to check on them, and to do something different.
Bluegill. I put in brushy brush piles for gills. They only eat small forage but get big enough to feed large bass. This makes them a food source that isn't in direct competition for other foods bass eat. Great thing to have in the water!
Green Ear Sunfish. Many people don't like them. They can over populate quickly and with an agressive nature and large mouth will eat forage that bass need. I think I've got enough larger bass that they are kept in check. Plus we have catfish that surly eat them to help control numbers.
Bullheads... nobody wants bullheads in a pond but I'm convinced they are a wonderful food source when their spawn hatches. Each nest will hatch 4000 babies to be gobbled up by larger predators. Not uncommon to catch them while jigging for crappie.
The "pond" is 19 acres at normal full level. 10ft deep in the main basin.
We have Golden Shiner. I love the things! They make great forage and they eat fish eggs (particularly bass eggs). They help both control bass populations and feed big bass. The less bass the better so that they don't have to compete for habitat and food. I'll fly fish for shiners a couple of times a year just to check on them, and to do something different.
Bluegill. I put in brushy brush piles for gills. They only eat small forage but get big enough to feed large bass. This makes them a food source that isn't in direct competition for other foods bass eat. Great thing to have in the water!
Green Ear Sunfish. Many people don't like them. They can over populate quickly and with an agressive nature and large mouth will eat forage that bass need. I think I've got enough larger bass that they are kept in check. Plus we have catfish that surly eat them to help control numbers.
Bullheads... nobody wants bullheads in a pond but I'm convinced they are a wonderful food source when their spawn hatches. Each nest will hatch 4000 babies to be gobbled up by larger predators. Not uncommon to catch them while jigging for crappie.
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Catscratch
5 year old buck +
We have several small ponds. Have crappie in some of them. Each pond has it's own personality. We have one that is about half an acre that consistently produces 5lb bass and 15in crappie. With that said you are right, nobody recommends crappie in small water. They simply reproduce too quickly. Do you know what type of crappie you have; black or white? If you have black I wouldn't worry about it to much. Just remove every single one you catch. I'm sort of the belief that if you put in the right habitat that it will all work itself out. But I say that as a tight ass who won't buy fertilizer or spend much on a stocking. If I wasn't such a mizer I might have a different view.
Catscratch
5 year old buck +
Hope you can handle my drawing skills (or lack of). Basically I put habitat out in an alternating placements. Brushy stuff for smaller fish next to larger logs for bigger fish. Forage should always have a place to hide and reproduce, but never be far from the larger fish that eat them. I don't want my big fish to have to fight small cover (they like to lay under large logs anyway) and they should never have to work or search for food.
I like to make lines going out from bank for 2 reasons; 1 it makes fishing from bank easier as you present to a lot of fish with a single cast brought back beside the line of piles, and 2 it covers a lot of depths which makes seasonal transitions easy for the fish.
This all how I see things in my mind. Doesn't necessarily make it right, just what I do and why. I'm sure there's a lot more (and better) info out there.
I like to make lines going out from bank for 2 reasons; 1 it makes fishing from bank easier as you present to a lot of fish with a single cast brought back beside the line of piles, and 2 it covers a lot of depths which makes seasonal transitions easy for the fish.
This all how I see things in my mind. Doesn't necessarily make it right, just what I do and why. I'm sure there's a lot more (and better) info out there.
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Turkey Creek
5 year old buck +
Or extremely insane!! LOLYou guys are animals...............
Catscratch
5 year old buck +
Back to the house building...
Catscratch
5 year old buck +
The crazy rubs off and is addicting. My CC team's workout today; 1.5 mile warmup, hill repeats up the back side of the dam, 1.5 mile cool down... then 2hrs of beach football and sand carries. Great kids!
TreeDaddy
5 year old buck +
Catscratch
5 year old buck +
A couple of before and after pics of the yard;
Howboutthemdawgs
5 year old buck +
What is that next to the Toyota? Mail truck or Land Rover or land cruiser? I can’t make it out
Catscratch
5 year old buck +
Good eye! It's a mail Jeep and a blast to drive! Really wish it was a Rover or International Scout though! There's also a 55 and 68 sitting around...
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Catscratch
5 year old buck +
Thanks! We love it!
