Pond management

My experience with fish ponds started when I was growing up . My Uncle had several ponds and a lake on the farms he owned. One pond was filled with big catfish that were 10 to 20 pounds. My uncle loved to fish but hated cleaning them so he practiced catch and release. I also made sure the fish were healthy and well fed. Every summer my family went to the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park where I learned about catching trout. At summer camp when I was 10 I caught a 5 pound bass. It was the biggest caught that year and I have been hooked on everything about fish since then.

I have been the manager of a tropical fish store and worked for a wholesale fish importer for many years. I started keeping fish tanks 40 years ago with a black molly in a fish bowl. I have kept almost every type of tropical freshwater and marine fish available today. During that time I have become an ichthyologist or fish doctor. This experience has enabled me to take care of aquariums and ponds as well as fish health.

I have been maintaining a pond in Northwest Houston for the last 16 years. I have had a fishing tournament at the pond every year and am responsible for bait and fish stocking, water quality, fish health, and general upkeep.

We have stocked it for kids to fish and it is catch and release only. Since it is a small pond we started with 1000 minnows and 50 blue gills. After a few weeks we added 10 12 inch channel cats. In a few months we had some large fish for the kids to catch.

Jessica and Austin with a small catfish.

When it turns spring I usually go on a sunfish hunt and fish some of my favorite spots for some big "gills". Hand size and bigger are put in a month or so before the tournament, to give the smaller kids something to catch. I try to put 20 or so Blue gill, Red Ears, Warmouth or hybrids a couple of times a year. It helps with interbreeding and keeps strong fish in the pond.

This size were recently stocked.

For the first several years we had a very large channel cat named Freddy after the movie Nightmare on Elm street. He was, the last time I caught him, over 34 inches long and you could put 2 fists in his mouth. He was hooked many times but would come up and slap his tail and break your line. We had a saltwater rod with 40 pound test and hooked Freddy. When he slapped (snapped) the line it sounded like a 22 going off.

A few years ago we had a big fish kill. A neighbor had a pesticide company spray for bugs and the next day, when it rained, it ran into the pond. It took several hours to get the dead fish cleaned out. We ran the well pump for a week at full blast and cleared the ammonia up. I waited a few weeks and slowly restocked. When I tried fishing again I caught Rosie. Rosie got her name by being caught so many times both sided of her mouth were worn away and she has "Rosie lips". I was surprised she had survived the poisoning but stranger things have happened.

I have also been involved in many other ponds and small lakes in the Houston area. Giving advise on what and how many to stock, water quality tests and fish health issues.

I also install fountains, lights and aeration systems in small yard koi ponds and larger ponds and lakes.