Written by Industry Expert Cory Smith, Aquatic Specialist & Regional Leader

The long, warm days of summer provide the perfect backdrop for swimming, boating and fishing, but the last thing you want to encounter at your lake or pond is a summer fish kill. Fish kills are often a natural occurrence that can happen any time of year. However, they are especially common in the summer. As the weather changes, the surface and bottom of the waterbody form distinct layers containing different dissolved oxygen levels and temperatures.

AS SEEN IN Pond Boss Magazine: Written by Industry Experts David Beasley, Fisheries Biologist & Director of Fisheries and West M. Bishop, Ph.D., Algae Scientist & Water Quality Research Manager at SePRO Corporation

Several decades ago, pioneers of the trophy Largemouth Bass industry began connecting the dots on how to consistently grow big bass. Over the years, these innovators continually built on their knowledge to maximize production and develop fisheries from the bottom-up. They had a firm understanding that phytoplankton (microscopic algae throughout the water) was critical to producing those big bass we all daydream about, so they employed fertility programs that involved monitoring the plankton bloom and applying fertilizer when the bloom provided visual clues that additional nutrients were needed. Biologists developed an eye what to look for, and as result, fertilizing ponds became as much of an art as it was a science.

Stocking your lake or pond with the appropriate fish can be beneficial to your waterbody in a variety of ways. Whether you're looking to control algae blooms, enhance your forage base, improve recreational fishing or simply grow an excellent food source, tilapia may be the ideal fish for your lake or pond. Tilapia are tropical fish that can provide numerous benefits to a waterbody if stocked correctly. These fish are more than a delicious entrée, they are a species that can bring balance to your ecosystem and improve your fishery.

Written by Industry Experts David Beasley, Fisheries Biologist and Director of Fisheries and Aaron Cushing, Fisheries and Wildlife Biologist and Environmental Scientist

Are you looking to improve or maintain a balanced, healthy fishery? Perhaps your goal is a trophy fishery? Either way, you can benefit greatly from electrofishing.

Electrofishing is a fish sampling tool used to gather fish population data, allowing managers to make accurate decisions and improve pond management techniques. Using an electrofishing boat, the electric field produced affects a small area of water in front of the vessel where fish are momentarily stunned and safely collected with dip nets. The question most people ask when they hear about electrofishing is: “Doesn’t that hurt the fish?” Surprising to most, the process is safe and harmless to fish. Once netted from the water, the fish are placed into a live well on the boat where they quickly recover and start swimming around. Once safely on board, length and weight data is recorded, observations are made, and fish are released without harm back into their environment. If desired, fish can be marked with PIT tags or Floy tags to determine growth rates when recaptured in the future. The data collected during electrofishing provides insight into current and future issues, giving pond managers the needed facts to make a fishery productive and keep it productive. In addition to collecting data, undesired species of fish or overpopulated size classes of predators can be removed from the waterbody.

The United States has a history of non-native fish species entering waterways and becoming a nuisance within the aquatic ecosystem. The state of Colorado, in particular, is home to nuisance species such as Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) and White Suckers (Catostomus commersoni). Though some of these invasive and exotic fish may be desirable by some, the impact they have on the health of a waterbody and the native fish can be detrimental.

Written by Industry Expert Joe Holz, International Sales Manager at Kasco Marine

As we continue through the cold, winter months, protecting your fish should be on your top priority list. Many pond owners understand the need to have good oxygen levels to maintain a healthy, thriving fish population, however, most only think about oxygen levels during warm, summer months. Winter oxygen levels in areas that ice over can be just as, or even more, critical than during warmer times of the year. Low oxygen levels and the buildup of harmful gases over the winter can create dangerous conditions for fish in your pond.

AS SEEN IN Pond Boss Magazine: Written by Industry Expert Dave Beasley, Fisheries Biologist & Director of Fisheries 

Pursuing your dreams is an incredibly gratifying experience that has a way of bringing out the best in yourself. For some of us, that involves creating a trophy fishery where kids and adults alike can spend time together bonding in the essence of nature. Spending a day on the water with loved ones, in pursuit of the next fish that family and friends will be talking about over dinner or around a campfire, can provide just enough motivation to keep someone from settling when it comes to building the pond of their dreams.

Written by Industry Expert Cole Kabella, Wildlife & Fisheries Biologist

Think back to the last time you were on a lake or pond. Chances are, you can recall seeing a turtle—or 10. Turtles are to water as meatballs are to spaghetti. This close relationship raises a few questions. Why are they there? What is their purpose? And the biggest question: Are turtles bad for ponds? Answering these questions will provide us with a better understanding of the role turtles play in the aquatic ecosystem.

AS SEEN IN Pond Boss Magazine: Written by Industry Expert Dave Beasley, Fisheries Biologist & Director of Fisheries 

Complacency and trophy bass fishery are incompatible concepts that don’t belong in the same sentence. So, don’t let complacency sentence your trophy bass lake to an unsustainable destiny. While that may start off sounding a bit harsh, vigilance is a key to success in many aspects of life. That includes managing a trophy fishery. Just because you might figure out how to create a trophy fishery, it doesn’t necessarily follow that it will then sustain itself. Diligence is a key to long-term success.