Blue Raider Bob

Thanks Katie! It was a lifelong dream for me too but due to raising kids and just life in general, I was only able to complete it five years ago even though I have owned the land for over 25 years. Don't assume you will never achieve your dream. With all the ponds in your area, one may become available. If you are able to get a pond then it would be my dream to build you a dock of your design no matter how complex. We could do it! If I didn't live so far, I would have already started digging you one! One last picture.......this keeps me from melting during my daily decompressing!

Finally, Mid-summer observations of the fish. Water temp yesterday at 7:00 PM was 86.7 and the larger BG were not interested in feeding. This has been the norm for the past couple of weeks. Some of the larger BG will take the feed but mostly it is the juveniles that aggressively use the feed. When the little ones are attacking and breaking off usable portions of the pellets, the LM begin to show interest. They average three assaults in the 30 minutes an evening I spend decompressing, and I am happy to share that I witnesses my first confirmed successful attack. While I have witnessed dozens of blow-ups during feeding time, it happens so fast that confirmation of success has been impossible. However two days ago after a violent explosion, (the LM frequently leave the water), a four inch BG was seen slowly leaving the point of impact. A few minutes later the unfortunate BG was seen upside down slowly swimming just under the surface. It was not attacked again while I enjoyed my dock time so its fate is unknown, BUT, it showed me that not only will the LM engulf their prey, they will also ram, and wound their prey. For those concerned, Molly the Red Eared Slider still has her appetite! This is her fourth year here. She gets so aggressive reaching for my hand that she sticks her neck out as far as she can even though I'm dropping pellets on the water all around her. I'm even dropping them on her head, and she's still reaching for my hand. She got no more sense that a pond turtle. This is the wet weather creek used by the migrating creatures throughout the year. It connects vast amounts of tillable land, as well as cattle farms, and three farm ponds. It dries up in the summer only to run from fall through winter, and into early summer. I have dug out and lined a small pond where it enters my property that keeps water year round. It is full of various types of fish that enter from the farm pond overflows. My horses and goats use it as an additional watering hole. My pond is to the right just over the embankment lined with trees.

The mysteries mentioned are as follows. The perimeter of the pond in year five is showing an abundance of water loving plants that I did not introduce. These are various types of Cattails, willows, and reeds, and rushes. There is no inlet into this pond so how did these plants find their way and become established. There is a wet weather creek near the pond that the turtles and Otters use, but water cannot transfer between the creek and the pond. This question also can be used for the fauna that inhabit the pond. How did the frogs, turtles, and otters find the pond? Mentioned earlier, there is no water inlet and the pond is not visible from the wet weather creek, yet I have viewed at least four different species of aquatic turtles, (Red Eared Slider, Bog, Spiny Softshell, and Common Snapping). Frog species include but are not limited to Bullfrog, Greenfrog, Leopard Frog, Cricket Frog, and Spring Peeper. Mammal species include River Otters and Beaver. What was the line in the baseball movie Field of Dreams, (Build it and They Will Come)?

Observations and mysteries! Mid-summer in year five of the pond and I continue to be amazed by the evolution. First off, unfortunately, I am having a severe algae issue. The air diffuser runs constantly but algae has created an unsightly and unfishable situation. Algae issues are caused by an overabundance of nutrients but to create an algae bloom, it is recommended to fertilize every couple of weeks until bloom is achieved, then repeat every few week throughout the warm weather. This repeated behavior, along with fish waste and droppings, has created a nutrient overload that has caused an algae explosion. Since there is no inlet, or outlet, the nutrients remain and accumulate. The fertilization has stopped but the natural nutrient process continues. How to combat? There are three ways recommended by University publications. First off, outside nutrient introduction ceases, then the first strategy is mechanical removal with an algae rake. This worked very well before the algae got out of hand, but is unreasonable at this stage. 2nd option is chemical application which also works very well but has damaging and long lasting side effects. The chemicals of choice contain copper in a water soluble form that is sprayed directly on the algae, along with a dry copper mixture that is broadcast on the algae with the intention of sinking to the bottom to inhibit growth. Both of these methods are effective BUT they are fatal to invertebrates. I see populations of dead snails all over the floating algae clumps as well as the total absence of leaches since the copper program began. The poisoning effect of the copper is not the answer in a pond that desires a complete and natural ecosystem. Also, since copper is an element, it does not dissolve and dissipate. Only time will tell if the toxic water will allow a repopulation of this level of the food chain. 3rd Option is the introduction of herbaceous fish. This has been tried before with mixed results. The Asian Grass Carp will indeed feed on aquatic plants, but they also quickly learn that the fish feeder is a much more attractive option. They compete with the BG for the fish pellets and are very adept at quickly consuming the majority. The other issue with the Grass Carp are the Otters that migrate up and down the creek every winter. The Otters can and do catch the Carp, which can be expensive to replace. My plan for next year will be option three with no more nutrient introduction There is no choice if I want a natural environment instead of an antiseptic situation that would clash with my ideals.

He meant mosquitos, they look like gators that fly!

What, these?

Hang in there big D! You be the crutch everyone needs to lean on! You be the Rock for a few days longer. Help everyone get over this, then when you are alone on the water with your thoughts and your dad's memory, then you can break down and let them flow!

Best story of the Year! Memories that will last a lifetime for the kids and for you!

I'm hurting with you! You actually wont have long to fish with him again. You will think of your dad every single trip you take for the rest of your days. It's been thirty years since I said goodbye but I still feel him beside me every trip, and so will you! Only he's not telling me to shut up and be still.? That's got to be because Crappie can't swim as fast as BG, at least that's my opinion. When I'm feeding BG in my pond and a Bass attacks, they scatter as fast as shrapnel. Don't see how the bass ever catches one.

No question is "stupid". I fish rivers so the thermocline does not matter, however every little bit of info gleaned from these questions make me a better fisherman. Next time I lake fish I will remember that the bait fish will be above the thermocline because of this thread.

I think you could!

That leaves me out! I guess they get the Mepps too far down before hook set. I've had the same issue, that, and it hooks every limb, rock, and Drum swimming. With that said, it gets bites when my standby TicklerZ doesn't.

Yes Katie, the umbrella really makes for pleasant journeys. Keeps me dry in anything but a strong breezy rain, and keeps the sun off on the cloudless days. Gone are the blissful days of youth when the sun was welcome and a quick drop over the side to cool off was a constant thing. Skin cancer is now a recurring concern and the child in the old grandpa's body just doesn't trust his limbs in the river anymore.

My advise to you proved worthless to me. Went out Friday and lost my first FIVE Smallies. Overall hook up rate was poor. One thing for sure is to keep your hooks sharp. Only takes a couple drags on rocks to dull them.

obviously you didn't read my posts or else you would not have responded with such an ignorant reply.

Actually my point was.....Respect your new country and leave it as clean as you found it. I very seldom see fisherman trash their environment, unlike motorist, who use the highways for disposal. It pains me to see the shore fishermen on the Cumberland River constantly leaving behind large amounts of trash. The picture was not an isolated incident. Every spot on the Cumberland that I fish that is close to a road has its own piles of trash. Weekends near the Old Hickory Dam bring vast crowds of immigrants. There will be multiple families with music playing and big grills set up. The women wearing beautiful colored clothes and children dancing, It is a wonderful thing. Scores of people lining the banks fishing with a festival atmosphere. It is an interesting look into their culture. That's all great BUT...... pick up your trash when you leave!

Steveo, I'm singling out the perpetrators of this embarrassment whom in this case are Hispanic. Don't know what YMMV stands for. Perhaps you can educate me.

I know where the government can get goats! Although goats are such picky eaters (contrary to what you might think) that they would avoid the trash piles unless the piles were covered with corn.

Bird, when I was much younger I used to sink my beer cans. I'm ashamed of that to this day. My old river haunts in eastern Arkansas have a lot of PBR's on the bottom. Wish I could do a re-do!

After reading the BR posts and drooling at the pictures Friday morning, I got so tore up that I left work, went home, and hooked up the boat. Got to the Cumberland River about 10:00 AM and cruised upriver to the Old Hickory Dam to begin a long float. Right after I cut the motor is when I began to melt. Even with my umbrella, the heat and humidity was overwhelming. The fishing was slow and I went two hours without the first nibble. Then it happened. A solid take and a bent rod with screaming drag. I got her up to the side of the boat when she jumped and was gone. Durn! I just sat in my chair, dejected and sweaty. This same unfortunate story repeated itself four more times before I landed my first smallie. Went on to catch about thirty dinks but the only sizable fish were drums. After a very long day swearing at my BR friends, I finally pulled the boat up on the trailer at 7:00 PM and the air temp was still at 88 deg. AC never felt so good!

This may be the wrong forum but since I was fishing for Smallmouth......here it is. I understand why you would want to leave your native land to better your lives and that of your children. I totally get that. I would do the same, but show some respect for your new country. Why trash your new home? There were enough trash piles to stuff an extra large bag on this bluff area. If you can bring it in, then you can take it out! This is the Cumberland River in Nashville, a beautiful river in the northern part of Tennessee. Why not keep it that way?

A good day for me is just being on the water when boat traffic is light. Catching a few is a bonus.

I used to follow an earlier train of thought that suggested no hook set at all. This did not work for me. After experimenting with soft sets to hard sets and everything in between, I have settled on a quick wrist set, no arm set at all. While I still lose fish, my hook-up ratio has improved to the point that I see no more room for improvement. I use a medium or a medium light spinning rod, light drag, and 8lb mono. It works for me. Also I must confess I'm Ned rigging 80% of the time I'm on the river with T-rigging the other 20% which requires a fairly good yank!

Sounds like you KNOW what is down there. Which one of ya'll did it? Was it T-Billy? Hate it when those parking brakes fail......?

Dang Katie! That dammed stream has got you all worked up! I just want the blocked vehicles out of the way, not pulled into the water permanently, but don't give Tim any ideas, else we may have to raise some bail money!