Night Fishing Has Begun!

During the summer I actually spend more time fishing after dark than I do during the day. Not only do I spend more time fishing then, but it is also my favorite fishing as well. The lake is quiet, the people are all gone, kids and pretty much everyone else are all in bed and I just sit on the dock sightfishing and catching monster fish like this all night long! BTW, for those of you who dont know me, I am a very large 280 lb man. Big guy, big Nate, big boned, and husky have been my nicknames and clothes sizes since I started out the 4th grade well over 100 lbs and nearly weighing twice as much as the other boys in the class. Anyhow my point is that its not too easy to make a 1 lb fish look big with me in the background.

So moving on, I mentioned sight fishing during the middle of the night? You did indeed read correctly. I have green monster underwater lights 45 feet out from the end of my dock and they light up the water like nothing you have ever seen before. I can see every fish that swims within casting distance of my dock all night long. Not only can I see the fish, but the light also attracts tons of microscopic phytoplankton, aquatic invertebrates, and insects. You know what happens when you congregate such delicious food items, so I wont even waste my timing describing the cycle of small fish, medium fish, and large fish that come to visit this favorite midnight snack shack. Here is a pic of a green monster, it is very hard to take a pic of it glowing with a cheapy camera, but here is the closest resemblance of what one looks like.

Two years ago in July I was eating dinner with Bob Lusk and Ray Scott down in Arlington, Texas and we were talking about Ray's personal fishing lake down in Alabama. Supposedly its pretty good bass fishing there. (BTW, he kills 100's of bass from his lake every year). Anyhow I let him know how badly his catch and release theory for bass has messed up private water bass fishing! He completely agreed, anyhow again the story I wanted to tell was about how I traded him a green monster underwater fishing light for some of his fishing rods. When he got back to Alabama he had a new green light waiting for him to install and he actually did. He liked the light so much, he bought 5 more and actually set up a meeting with Ronnie Dennis my good friend who makes the lights. He wanted to put his name on the lights and market them for Ronnie, but he wanted just a bit too much money to do that, so the green lights name remains Green Monster Fishing Light.

Anyhow, most nights I actually dont even fish by the lights, I just sit back till well past midnight just watching the fish eat each other and the bugs. Friday night though we stayed out at the lake and saw some big gills cruising around about 10 pm. Justin and I decided to try and catch a few. Even though all the pics are of me, Justin did catch a few. His pics just didnt turn out too good. (I wonder who took those shots?) Its not easy taking pics in complete darkness. Here are a couple more of the big boys. This was a 12 inch, 18 ounce bruiser.

Just a 10 incher.

We also caught several small crappie, a couple trout, and a hybrid striped bass. This was the only other decent pic that turned out. I am going to have to learn how to take pics better in complete darkness. I dont think the auto setting on my $50 camera is going to cut it after dark.

We spent the weekend working on all kinds of projects out at the lake. Docks, fish cages, bathroom additions, spring cleanup and organizing, etc. I am beat. I did take Tyden down fishing for northern pike with a number 3 blue fox spinner for about 10 minutes. He thought he had a pike on and was super excited, but it turned out to be this giant bluegill. (its fun to have a handful of pike in the lake just for the slightly remote chance of hooking into one. Makes fishing with a 9 year old boy just a bit more exciting for him)

Then later in the day we were doing some work on a dock half way down the lake and Tyden and Noah tag teemed this big 5 lb Hybrid Striped Bass. Tyden caught it all by himself with a fire tiger rapala shad rap and when I looked over to check on the commotion he had Noah helping him reel it in.

So Mae and her cousins thought they were pretty big stuff on Saturday. They packed their lunches and went for a hike and picnic with no adults. It was great, they walked about a 1/2 mile to the other side of the lake, ate their lunch and didnt come back for over an hour. This was their biggest unsupervised adventure to date. I do say I am looking forward to many more unsupervised adventures, seems like the last 4 years have been complete dependance and supervision.

Land Management Timber Work

This spring we have been doing some awesome land management projects and consultations for folks looking to buy a particular piece of property as well as for folks looking to spruce up their piece of property. Anyhow, this latest project is definitely one worth talking about! This particular father/son owned piece of property in Fulton County has been carefully and meticulously manicured for raising, holding, observing, and harvesting trophy deer. For this project, we were not hired for our knowledge but rather our backs (and equipment).

The land management plan in place on this property is like 5 levels past any land management program I have seen implemented to date. The owners have more knowledge of whitetail deer (and more trophy deer hanging on the wall in their cabin) than most of the professional fellas you see on TV. Every square inch of this 600 acre property is being managed and maintained for raising and harvesting deer. It goes way beyond just planting food and hoping the deer will come.
Many people think that simply feeding deer is the key to harvesting them, just the same way they think that simply feeding fish is all the management it takes to grow trophy fish. Let me just say that there is just so much more than simply planting a food plot or merely setting a timer on a feeder. Regardless of how much food is available naturally or supplementally, consistently growing fish and deer takes paying attention to all of the many very tiny details, instead of just focusing on the one big detail.

For this property, 5% of it is planted in various annual and perennial food plots placed strategically throughout. Here is a clover field overlooking the big timber.


1/2 acre to 3 acre plots are spread out everywhere. The food is strategically planted and the focus is on year round nutrition rather than just hunting season attractant. 12 months out of the year, the deer living on this farm have more than enough food, water and shelter and never need to leave. Oh yeah, water holes like this one have been strategically placed throughout.

On top of the supplemental food that is planted every year, the property is managed for providing optimum natural forage as well. Every year, certain trees are hinge cut and they provide great forage for a couple years and then once they die they turn into great shelter. Also a wide variety of shrubs and nutrition producing trees are maintained as well. Approximately 20% of the property is planted and harvested annually as well. These row crops provide quite a bit of food too.

I would estimate that about 50% of this hunting farm is deer sanctuary. Humans dont go in these places ever. Thick native grasses and big knarly timber make up the majority of these man forbidden areas. The forbidden areas are never hunted, walked upon, or messed with period. Never give the big boys a reason to leave, and they simply will stay put.

Not only is the land managed for raising deer, but hunting the deer efficiently and properly takes quite a bit of effort as well. Stand sites are picked and then funnels and pinch points are then man made to make sure the deer walk within shooting distance of the stands. Here is a pic of a spot where we piled up thick brush completely blocking access to this popular food plot from the wrong side of the timber.



Deer can come in on only one side and they have to walk within 30 yards of this stand not only to get into the food plot, but more importantly for the bucks to see who is in the food plot. They have to walk by this stand. I cant quite describe this to really do it justice, but they have done a tremendous amount of thinking, planning, observing, and work over the last 10 years to create the absolute perfect hunting stands. Here is a deer stand in this huge white oak tree right on a trail between two different types of food plots. Trees like this are very easy to stay hidden in!


The entire property is divided into sections on a map. There is a written management plan for each section. We have until the second week of May to get as many sections done as possible. Once the does start having fawns, all the work on the property is done for the year. Having the fawns born and raised on the property without any human distractions is pretty important to keeping that deer on your property forever. Justin and some of our part time help have been performing the selective tree cutting and hinging, brush pile making, and various other labor for the last week. They finished 5 sections and hope to get a couple more done by the cutoff date.

I cant quite describe this management plan enough to do it justice, and realize that this isnt possible for everyone in every situation. But for this Father/Son duo, this is their goal, passions, and dreams all coming true. I cant say that I would manage my property like this if I had some, because I love mushroom hunting, 4 wheeler riding, camping, and exploring, but to each his own. The many deer hanging in their cabin would make any professional hunter or Deer and Turkey classic attendee jealous and asking questions.

Sharks

Last year my cousin and his buddies caught a hammerhead shark that weighed about a half a ton while shark fishing down by Miami. This year my Aunt Karin caught a much more manageable shark while fishing from the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama.


Karin has a great job, nice country estate, boat, 4 wheelers, trailers, tools, all her teeth, cleans deer and fish, and is single. Hint, Hint.

No pics of her boats and 4 wheelers have surfaced yet, but this pic is just in from one of her favorite sisters.

Barley Straw for Ponds

Article by Nate Herman
www.hbpondmanagement.com

Have you ever heard of someone putting barley straw in their pond? Many people have heard of it, most people have no idea why or how though. I have been researching, studying, and experimenting with adding beneficial pond bacteria and barley straw into ponds for years and just now am ready to start reporting some of what I have learned. I guess I will just start with a bit of the history of adding barley straw to ponds; talk a bit about why, when, and how to best apply barley straw, and then finish up with the best place to purchase barley straw online.

Back in the middle ages when people lived in or around castles with moats and draw bridges, a peasant's wagon pulling a load of barley straw for the Duke of Earl's pigs lost its wheel while going over the draw bridge. The entire load of barley tipped over into the algae covered moat and sunk down into the abyss. About 3 weeks later that same peasant noticed how amazing the moat looked and how healthy the fish were. About 3 months later and that same peasant had started his own moat management company and was well on his way to managing all of the moats in the kingdom.

Several years later on his deathbed and in an interview with the Castle Times that same peasant who now owned a majority of the sheep and goats in the world revealed his secret formula for creating such awesome water quality, growing such big fish, and quite simply managing the best moats in the land... Flash forward about 800 years or so and here I am about to reveal the exact same information that peasant refined so many years earlier.

So for those of you still wondering, not about my mental state, but rather about why to add barley straw to your pond here is some information for you to chew on. As barley straw decomposes in water with plenty of oxygen and a bit of circulation, the rotting straw actually does a few things. I still dont know exactly the entire process or complete science behind what is completely going down with this process, but here is what I do know or at least what I think I know.

First, as barley decomposes it gives off a chemical compound that someway, somehow inhibits algae growth. It doesnt kill algae, but rather inhibits growth of new algae cells. I will never be able to figure this one out on my own, but somehow someday millions of dollars will be used by government funded scientists who will devote most of their lives to figuring out exactly what is produced from rotting barley that inhibits pond algae growth.

Second thing that barley does in water is that it helps colonize billions of natural pond bacteria already in your water. A good population of bacteria is essential for a healthy pond ecosystem. Properly placed decomposing barley straw provides the perfect habitat for spawning and feeding beneficial bacteria. Proper habitat is just as important for growing good bacteria as it is for growing everything that lives is in a pond. Fish, weeds, and microorganisms all need perfect habitat to live and reproduce to their fullest potential. Barley for some reason or another provides that great habitat for beneficial bacteria. Not only does it help bacteria, but barley also provides food good habitat for beneficial microorganisms, zooplankton, and other tiny creatures that are great for ponds and fish.

Last reason I have found to put barley straw into ponds we have already touched on briefly. For me, it is all about the fish! In order for a fish to not merely survive, but to thrive to its fullest potential it needs to have perfect water quality 365 days per year, ideal habitat for living in, and an unlimited food supply to gorge on. Barley straw is not a magic potion that instantly creates the perfect pond. It isnt a cure all solution for water quality, controlling algae, or feeding fish. It also is not even at the top of my list of pond management tools, but what it does do is to help improve each of those key factors just a bit.

Zooplankton and invertebrates that thrive off of decomposing barley are very important in ponds for young fish to feed on. In my opinion the first month of a fish's life sets the stage for its trophy potential. When a fish is hatched, it needs to start eating right away and will eat anything it can fit in its tiny mouth. The few fry that start eating microorganisms right away will grow so fast that they will start eating their brothers and sisters immediately. Those first couple days set the stage for who will become king and who will become lunch.

In ponds with plenty of tiny invertebrates, little fish become big fish years faster than in ponds without good populations of invertebrates. Lets take a 3-5 inch bluegill for example. I can grow a bluegill to 3-5 inches in a matter of weeks under ideal conditions. Under not so good conditions, I have seen 3-5 inch bluegill that are 10 years old. What would you rather have in your pond: a population of 3-5 inch bluegill that are weeks old or a population of 3-5 inch bluegill that are years old?

The reduction of new algae, improvement of water quality through beneficial bacteria, and the additional food supplied to small fish from barley straw all are just another step to the perfect pond mystery. There really is not one magic trick to creating that perfect pond. A big misconception is that once you put in your aeration system, or treat with an aquatic algaecide or herbicide, or start feeding your fish, that your pond will all of a sudden be fixed for life or your fish will turn into sumo wrestlers. The key to creating and maintaining your perfect pond and growing your trophy fish is rather a combination of management tools to help address what your pond lacks naturally. Some lakes and ponds need just a little nudge to get the ecosystem flowing, others need to break out the whole gamut of magic tricks.

So now that I have spent half the night writing and rewriting this simple barley straw infomercial I can finally move on towards the when and how portion of barley straw applications. I apply barley in the spring once the ice comes off, but have found that you can simply apply it anytime of year. Just keep in mind that the warmer the water is, the faster the barley will decompose and start "working". Many people in the south keep barley in their ponds year round. Basically though if you ask me for my recommendation I will say to apply it in April, May, June or whatever month you are reading this and still don't have any applied yet.

There are many different ways to apply barley. That kind of depends on what you are exactly wanting to accomplish with it.

Water Garden Applications

If your looking for water quality improvements in a small water garden pond I recommend applying a 1 lb mesh bag of barley straw per 1000 gallons of water. This will help filter your water and give a good boost to your bacteria filters as well. I suggest using a liquid bacteria about 2-3 weeks after the initial barley application to get the most bang for your buck. After a couple weeks, the barley is ready to host and boost the bacteria!

Pond and Lake Applications

Here is where you have a couple different barley applications to consider. For water quality improvements I suggest loosely placing 8-10 lbs of barley in a mesh bag with a gatorade bottle or milk jug also placed in the bag for flotation. Then attach an anchor or concrete block to the mesh bag and place around the shoreline in 4-5 feet of water. You want the top of the barley mesh bag to float about 1-2 feet below the surface of the water. Ponds with good circulation or aeration already have much better bacteria populations and the barley is much more effective in these waters as well. For pond and lake applications I will add one packet of powder bacteria by each mesh bag about 2 weeks after initial installation

Typically I recommend applying 10 of these bags per acre. For a 1/4 acre pond, I recommend 2-3 mesh barley bags. Application rates can vary though depending on your unique situation. You dont want to apply fresh cut barley due to the possibility of an oxygen depletion with decomposing fresh barley. Also you dont want to apply more than 250 lbs per acre because we all know what too much of a good thing can do.

The above mentioned method is a great way to add barley without anyone ever knowing it is in the pond. Now if your looking for a way to feed your fish and you dont really care about visually seeing bales of barley straw around the shoreline, I suggest applying large bales of barley in 2-3 feet of water around the shore. Usually a bale of barley weighs 40 lbs and I will strategically apply 4 of these bales per acre. Just simply put a stake through the bale into the water.

So there you have it, the where, when, why, who, and how to applying barley straw in ponds. I will have complete barley straw kits as well as bulk barley bales for sale online hopefully by Memorial Day. I do have them both currently available, just not on the website yet. Contact me for pricing and more information.

April Fools, Fishing, and Aeration

Thursday April 1st I was at a consultation out in Henry Illinois looking at food plot and deer stand locations for a client when my phone started vibrating in my pocket like crazy. Seriously like 8 consecutive phone calls and 3 text messages in about 20 minutes. Enough to cause suspicion after a few minutes and when I checked the first text it said to let him know more details about where to pick up the lawnboy lawnmower. I knew something was up when the second text said the same thing. Turns out Justin put up an ad on craigslist that I had a free lawnmower for an April fools joke. Ha ha, very funny. The best was all the phone calls Michelle got for her free baby bumbo seat and my mom's free bedroom set.......

Anyhow after getting the management plan put in place for the Henry properties fish and deer, I headed to Southern Illinois with a mini van load full of 1000 feet of weighted tubing, a Vertex Air 3 aeration system, 3 double diffusers, a Texas Hunter fish feeder, a bojo buglight, my 3 kids, wife, and our luggage for the night. Every square inch of that van was utilized. When we got there it was like one of those clown vehicles at the circus, we just kept piling out.

I have become good friends with some clients down in Brownstown who graciously put me and my family up in their guest house when they heard I was going to be working in the area. That little getaway with the family was awesome! Connie always cooks a feast and Fred always has several awesome forest and fish projects going on to check out. Here are some pics from fishing thursday night: (insert pics once Fred emails them over)

Friday morning I headed out early to install the aeration system and fish feeders. My client is a professional bass fisherman who built the coolest 3 acre fishing pond possible. Two years ago I spoke at a regional Pond Boss seminar in the area and met Aaron back then. He has kept in touch and I have been following and helping with the progress of his pond since then. Every inch of that pond is set up to be perfect habitat for the fish he wants to raise. He stocked the baitfish and bluegills last year as the pond was filling and this year he will be adding largemouth and smallmouth fingerlings! The pond is completely full to the brim with fatheads, tadpoles, frogs, and insects. His feeding program is focusing on creating even more and bigger forage for his bass to devour once stocked. Here are some pics from the day:

Friday afternoon I headed over to BuckStop Archery in Brownstown to get fitted for a new bow, and shoot some targets. That place is pretty stinkin sweet and well worth the trip for any Illinois bowhunter. On my way back from BuckStop, my dad calls me up and said it was too windy to fish from the boat at home, but some of my friends who were out fishing from the bank caught a nice northern pike, some rainbow trout, largemouth bass, and a couple huge hybrid striped bass. Here are a couple camera phone pics from their windy fishing trip:

Then back at Fred and Connie's we did a little evening fishing trip before heading for home: (insert pics once Fred emails them over)

Saturday morning at the butt crack of dawn I helped my brother spread mulch around the house he has been fixing up all winter.

It is a luxury 3,000 square foot ranch with 1000 feet of the basement finished off too. It is located off of Knoxville in Deerbrook subdivision. My family owns and operates Noah Herman Sons Builders and one of my siblings is always fixing up or building and then selling a house at any given time.

Here is my brother Chad's listing with some pics of the house: Quail House

Here is my sister Michelle's house for sale: Pine Tree House

While I am at it, here is my parent's house for sale: Rt 91 House

This is the coolest house for sale near Grand Prairie ever. It has full court basketball and a 3 acre pond that I have stocked with huge yellow perch, walleye, big tiger muskie, and a few other bonus fish as well. I have been doing some crazy fish stocking combinations in this pond for the last 15 years and it definitely is one of the most fun 3 acre ponds you could ever fish in.

Anyhow when we finished mulching the yard, we headed out to set some bathroom countertops at our bathroom addition project at the lake. We finished up with about 45 minutes to spare before everyone had to head into town for various evening activities. Plenty of time to jump in the boat and fling some lures at some fish. After our 45 minutes were up, we were still halfway across the lake and just having a good time catching all kinds of different species of fish. We caught several trout, found a huge school of crappies up shallow, found a small school of walleyes out deep, some scattered largemouth bass, a small hybrid striped bass and even a feisty northern pike hit a number 4 mepps spinner.

Now Brook and the kids are asleep, our dinner guests have gone home, taped NCAA basketball games are playing in the background and I'm just sitting here reflecting on all the millions of other stuff happening that this blog doesnt get to portray. Thousands of hours of background, behind the scenes work and research is the stuff that doesnt get written about, but is what is necessary to make a living playing with fish. Anyhow, I am gonna do my absolute best to completely shut my mind off for Easter Sunday and just spend some relaxing time with family while reflecting on why this holiday is. We will head to church in the morning, then over to Alexanders to cook some lunch with Brook's family and finish off the evening finding easter eggs and eating dinner over at my parents place.