Bruce's Journal

Bruce

Herd Master
Joined
Feb 4, 2016
Messages
17,435
Reaction score
45,775
Points
783
Location
NW Vermont
And I've lived in VT much longer than I lived in So. Cal. 39 years vs 23 years.

Tested the narrower wood holder today then moved a run from the little barn to the house. Not much left in the little barn and what is there is shorter stuff. Later the DDs and I split the wood I had cut a few weeks ago, stopped when the carrier was full to the "run" level. One of us wasn't complaining most of the time. Still some bigger pieces to split but I have to make another carrier and make the top for when they are on the porch landing. But, totaled up, I have only about 2 2/3 cords. Sure takes a lot of trees to make a cord!

DD1 moved 6 more tadpoles this evening. A large frog watch from the middle of the pond area while DW added water. Seems to be holding fine, now if we could only get some RAIN!!! We have the potential for .5 inches tomorrow and Saturday. But I'm not counting my drops until they fall, we've been shortchanged this year pretty much every time Mr. NOAA said it was going to rain.
 

greybeard

Herd Master
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Messages
5,940
Reaction score
10,803
Points
553
Location
East Texas
Don't get goldfish to populate your pond as skeeter eaters without checking with your state's fish & Game Dept. They're a species of carp and some states they are allowed as bait, others they are not because the state doesn't want them to get loose and in the natural environment. The do a good job in man made water troughs keeping larvae and algae down, but something keeps eating the ones I put in.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one with bat houses but no occupants. Got plenty of bats tho, they just spend their resting time somewhere else.
 

Bruce

Herd Master
Joined
Feb 4, 2016
Messages
17,435
Reaction score
45,775
Points
783
Location
NW Vermont
I wouldn't put goldfish in the pond legal or not, they wouldn't survive the winter. I'll need to find something that is native and will manage to live in near freezing water, or in the mud under the ice, or however these fish have managed to date :hu. The pond, when full, couldn't have been but MAYBE 4' deep at the deepest part. Around here 4' is generally considered frost level. I figure they should be self sufficient, no desire to buy a bunch of fish every spring.
 

Latestarter

Novice; "Practicing" Animal Husbandry
Golden Herd Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2014
Messages
11,384
Reaction score
17,481
Points
623
Location
NE Texas
The live minnows you buy at bait shops are generally caught locally or originate from local populations. They should do well in the pond as long as it has water in it. Since it's basically empty right now, I would hold off till next spring as it might freeze solid this winter.
 

greybeard

Herd Master
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Messages
5,940
Reaction score
10,803
Points
553
Location
East Texas
The live minnows you buy at bait shops are generally caught locally or originate from local populations.
No. Local bait catchers are too unreliable to provide bait shops what they need and when they need it, and there is too much danger of losing a whole tank of live bait if diseased minnows are brought in by some local guy in his 14 john boat. Exceptions would be saltwater bait like frozen squid and freshwater frozen shad, and live saltwater bait shrimp.
In Texas and many other states, they come from bulk fisheries and wholesale distributors like these, that provide bulk sales to local bait shops.
https://www.joneswholesalebait.com/ Sales to Oklahoma and North Texas
http://www.gollonbait.com/page/shipping-live-bait

Most of the minnows sold in Texas bait shops and local bulk distributors originate in Arkansas at:
http://www.andersonminnows.com/

https://www.google.com/search?biw=9...1......0....1..gws-wiz.......0i71.sncc5ZOap1g
 
Last edited:

Bruce

Herd Master
Joined
Feb 4, 2016
Messages
17,435
Reaction score
45,775
Points
783
Location
NW Vermont
I know that at least some of the bait fish are brought in from far away. Last year there was a problem with invasive species being brought in. Wouldn't be a problem if a person used all their bait but when they don't they just dump the extras in the lake. Bad plan.
 
Top