turtles in my pond....

[sendero]

I have a pond, probably about 1/3 - 1/2 acre. Some is deep and some shallow.

When I bought the place, there were some blue gill, none too big though. This spring I tossed in some channel cat and fathead minnows.

I've been noticing lately that there are quite a few turtles in my pond. Now, I seem to remember folks saying that was not a good thing, but I don't know why. I've done some internet research on it, it seems that turtles of the kind I probably have do not eat fish.

So - should I do anything about them? Are they harmless to my goal of being able to pull a fish dinner out of the pond now and then?

 

[MossRoad]

<font color="blue"> turtles in my pond.... </font>

Turtle soup in your freezer /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Check with your local conseervation office. They can tell you the proper balance of fish species in your pond.

For example, here in Indiana they recommend a mix of bass, bluegill and channel cats. Last time I checked the mix was 5-6 pounds of bluegill per pound of bass. The cats were so many pounds per acre. They recommend throwing the bass back and eating any bluegill you catch. This keeps the bluegill population in check. The cats probably won't reproduce unless you give them cover to hide their babies in.

As for the turtles, they probably won't do any harm. Unless you are trying to raise water fowl with snapping turtles. That isn't recommended /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Anyway, check with the local county extension agent or conservation organization. They are very knowledgeable and you already paid their salary with taxes. They are usually very happy to help a homeowner.

 

[rmorgan]

Billy, I don't know what kind of turtles you have down in Texas, but here we have snappers and everything else (actually, about 10 other species, but mostly box and painted). I know we've got a snapping turtle in the pond when I find floating fish remnants. Snappers are transient; having one today doesn't mean you'll have one next week. They are shy when they're in the water and I don't think they pose much of a threat to people even if you do have them, although they can tangle with a dog if the dog catches the turtle on shore. If you want to catch them, here's a link to some directions for pulling them out.

As far as all the other turtles, my vote is to put a log in the pond big enough for them to climb out of the water to catch some rays, and enjoy the show. They are harmless at worst, and do a little bit of pond cleanup at best.

 

[Bird]

Billy, when I was a kid in southern Oklahoma one of our favorite fishing ponds for channel cats also had a large population of snapping turtles. We used to set out throw lines in the evening, leave them overnight, and go back to pull them in the next morning. We baited them with cubes of beef liver. We frequently caught snapping turtles on those lines, but the worst thing was that we frequently had only a large channel cat head on a hook; the snappers had eaten the rest of the fish and it seemed the bigger the fish was, the more likely the snappers were to get it. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

In my late teens and early 20s, we used to run trotlines out in the islands in Lake Texoma, baited them with pure beef blood, and checked them once an hour. We didn't lose any fish to the turtles that way, but did occasionally catch a snapper.

 

[monkeybreath]

Does anyone know how these turtles get to the ponds in the first place ? We have one very small pond - no turtles. Spent a lot of time there. Then one year 5 turtles - ?? And this pond is far from everywhere.

 

[cstocks]

I guess they crawl there! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Seriously, I would say that turtles migrate around for reasons unknown to me. My pond was dug this past Feb. and is not even full yet and I already have a turtle in it. There is a gully near me that holds water most of the time and a stock pond in the pasture across the road so I guess it came from one of those to sources. However, I have noticed turtles in the road from time to time in my lifetime so I have to believe they do move from one body of water to the next.

As far as my new visitor is concerned, I don't know what it is eating. I have not stocked the pond yet and the only signs of life I have seen other than the turtle are bunches of bugs and about a gizillion tadpoles.

 

[fishman]

Sendero,

The turtles you see probably are harmless. If they're not snappers, most of their diet will consist of vegetation, which can actually be a good thing if your pond has a lot of shallow areas and is prone to aquatic weed infestation.

You can actually buy a floating turtle trap and relocate them if they become annoying enough. It will probably just be a short term solution though.

Sounds like you're on the right track with your pond. Water level is extremely important here in TX as you might expect. For best results, the deepest part of the pond should be at least 6' deep during the hottest part of the summer, and 8-10' is better. This should take into account water loss from leakage and evaporation. If that criterion is met, you should have no problem growing a bunch of nice channel cat.

You might consider stocking 25 6"-8" largemouth bass this fall if none are present in your pond. Put in a couple three brushpiles in 4-6' of water for cover. Don't harvest any bass for a couple of years, then begin removing about 20 <12" fish every year to allow the remaining bass to grow quicker and stay in top condition.

These are just general comments that usually apply in Texas, but every situation is different.

Cstocks,

If your lake holds water this year, stock in the spring with coppernose bluegill, redear sunfish, fathead minnows, and channel catfish. Follow up in the fall with largemouth bass. On lakes less than 10 acres, don't be tempted to put any other species in, particularly crappie or flathead catfish.

 

[cstocks]

fishman,

Thanks for the stocking recommendations. I don't know if my pond is big enough for bass (1/4 acre) but I do plan to stock it w/ bream and catfish.

I don't mean to hijack your thread, sendero, but I have a question for fishman. Fishman, I was told by my county extension agent to add 1000 lbs. of lime to my pond to stabilize the bottom and raise the pH of the water, but she did not say if I should use granular or powered lime. Do you know which is preferred or if it matters?

Thanks!

 

[fishman]

Cstocks,

You need agricultural lime, not hydrated or quick lime. It will be in a powder form. You may be able to buy it in sacks at your local coop. Otherwise the most economical thing for you to do will be to visit the local quarry with your pickup and a tarp. The delivery charge is the same whether you're buying a ton or 20 tons.

The only reason to add lime is if your alkalinity is less than 20 ppm. The lime will raise the alkalinity, thus increasing the buffering capacity of your pond and reducing pH spikes. I assume the agent checked your water chemistry? East Texas ponds usually need limed every 3-5 years.

You can find out quite a bit at another favorite site of mine: Pondboss

 

[fishman]

Oh, and one other thing, a 1/4 acre pond is marginal for largemouth bass, but with some brushy cover and appropriate management, it will work. Don't overharvest, but don't be afraid to take out a half a dozen 10-12" fish every year after the first two years. I'd only stock about 15-20 bass to start, and only after the prey base has been established.