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Thanks. I haven’t yet from the pond, but will soon. BG are so good. Between the BG, YP and WE, we have some of the best eating fish out there!

I’m going to let this year pass and not add any. I have 75ish in a one acre pond. We’ll see how next year goes before I add any. Next spring will be interesting to see if there’s any kind of spawning activity to potentially naturally recruit another year class. I don’t think any of the females would be large enough yet. We’re probably still another year away from that chance with the walleyes. But who knows.

I appreciate you watching! Thanks

Well, I wouldn’t do it again in my pond only because I had severe erosion that buried the saucer before it had a chance to even work. I also put large pea gravel beds in our pond, and I think there is plenty of available spawning structure….that I didn’t need these discs. So I would say it depends on your pond situation.

@newnatureadventures if there wasn't the liklihood of erosion and no other gravelbeds without having to do a significant amount of dirt moving and grading, would the bluegill be happy to use these? I haven't seen any other info about people using this method.

It’s a 5hp

It’s just about 1 acre, and 23’ deep at the max. Yes, it is clay bottom. Thanks for watching and engaging!

We clean them off the harrow tines and throw them in the woods.

A couple reasons for me. And it depends on your pond goals. For me, I want to manage the cattails so I don’t attract muskrats to my pond, cause they are destructive to pond banks and can cause leaks. Muskrats love to eat cattails. I also don’t want tall stands of cattails obstructing the view of the pond, and effectively shrinking the pond. The water between the cattails and shore will just turn into a bog if left alone. Some people may want that with their pond. I don’t. And for those reasons I want to reduce the cattail growth. I want some native veg in the pond. But I’d like them to be more submerged veg under the water for fish habitat. The emergent cattails that grow 8-10’ high restrict the view and reduce the pond’s usable area. Again, every pond owner may have different opinion on this. It all depends on the goal of your pond.

@@newnatureadventures I was thinking the muskrats could be why, they are very problematic when they make bank dens. Around me phragmites took over whole areas of cattail and the muskrat population is extremely low as a result. I think all this stuff is very interesting. Thanks for the concise reply!

I can’t say it’s a favorite, because I haven’t really fished walleye this way. But…this time of year, walleye will be more accessible and staying shallower as the water cools. Presenting your bait in their face will be key. So I would slip bobber with live bait…a larger minnow on a bare #6 or 4 octopus hook. Slip bobbers are my favorite approach to present bait at a consistent depth. Your walleyes will be oriented to the bottom of the pond typically during the day. Fish your slip bobber 1-2’ above the bottom, and put it out in a deeper spot of your pond. What’s your max depth?

@@newnatureadventures Max depth I think is 12 feet.

My guess is the water pressure of 20+ feet of water on top of a newly built pond that wasn’t properly compacted found a weak spot, and opened it up. The force of water is strong. My underwater camera was vital to finding it. The pipe was just the conduit to pour more clay and aggregate and expanding Seekleak polymer into the hole to clog the leak up. And by the grace of God, it has worked and held for the past year.

@@newnatureadventures I am so happy for you that it worked.

This is meant for use in clay ponds without a plastic liner. It could conceivably work in a plastic lined pond, but I don’t know. The polymer is designed to bond with clay particles. It’s best to start in the area that you suspect the leak to be. You don’t want to have to treat the entire pond if you don’t have to. I would start where you suspect it, and then wait and take daily measurements to track the leak rate progress. Most common areas are along the dam, at the overflow pipe if it was cut through the dam, and the your deepest basin in the pond. Your deepest part is obviously under the most pressure from the water, and that pressure finds the weak spots and once water starts running, it erodes and creates bigger holes. Where do you suspect yours is leaking? Ours was in the deepest part.

@@newnatureadventures A large part of sand disappeared into the pond from water coming down the hill and I see a paper like substance on the bottom in that area. The area is around 4 feet wide and I'm thinking about treating it with what you used. Thank you for your video and your reply as it has been very informative.

@@newnatureadventures ok

Was that sand area intended to be a beach? If so, I would suspect that paper-like material you see is a landscape fabric to go under the sand to try and prevent weeds from growing up in the sand. We opted not for a beach because we feared that the sand would just get washed into the pond deeper. I would not suspect your leak to be from under that area if in fact it was a beach in that area. Maybe I’m not picturing this properly though. Do you know how much water you’re losing each day? Happy to help! And thanks for watching!

@@newnatureadventures I didn't put the pond in but I must agree with you about the sand. Maybe my leak is from the drought. That's what I'm hoping. When the pond fills up, in about a week I lose a few inches and then it stops.

You bet! Thanks for stopping by.

I use the Aqua Vu HD7i. I like the picture quality. It is a bit heavy though. Cable management can be a challenge, but that’s the same with every camera. If I were to choose another I would go with the Pro version to get the water temp and depth displayed on the video from the sensiors built into the camera.

@@newnatureadventures ok :) thank you!

Agree!

tj@hudlandmgmt.com a d tell him Johnse sent you. Sorry you’ve got a leak. TJ is the guy you want to talk to. He has only charged me for the product. All of our phone calls and pond strategy consults have been graciously gifted. And on too of that, seekleak worked for us and reduced our leak by at least 90%.

Send TJ Hudson an email at tj@hudlandmgmt.com and he’ll work with you on the best solution for you and your pond. Thanks for watching!

Thanks. Appreciate you watching.

Wow, that’s odd. I wonder how that happened.

@@newnatureadventures no clue I guess they came from a storm drain

I’ve heard fish eggs being transferred on birds feet before. But that doesn’t seem as feasible for perch. Maybe a storm drain. Unless there was a mistake in koi stocking. I don’t have koi, so I’m not familiar with how those are stocked. You probably pick them out individually rather than buying 100s at a time like bluegill and perch and other game fish.

You’re welcome. I did the same thing too. I bought Damit first. It may work….it all depends on how large the leak is, and if it hits the mark. For is, our leak was so large, that the lesser expansion of the Damit didn’t seem to effect it. I know others that have had some success with it. Hope you’re in that camp. As for temperature, I don’t know for sure if it affects the expansion of the polymer a lot. But I would plan to apply it before water temps drop below 50 degrees. Warmer is better in general I would think. That being said, I might try an application through the ice this winter just to test it directly over where I know we have leaked in the past.

TJ’s your guy! 1/4 acre…even if you had to treat the whole thing would probably be no more than 2 units. If you can pinpoint the leak from one side or another that narrows the treatment area. How much vertical water loss do you get per day when it’s full? The more full your pond, the more pressure it creates on the bottom. So what you’re seeing makes sense. Thanks for watching. Let me know how I can help. Give TJ a call!

No fun with the hook, but it created a fun memory for Jacey and I! I need to pinch my barbs! I’m getting a little better with the drone practice! Fun perspective sneaking in on the fish in the shallows!

I consider it beat. At only 1/2” daily loss for almost a year now, compared to 4” at its worst last year….it’s in great shape. I just have one unit left of polymer that I want to apply to see if we can’t seal it up completely. Hence the dye test to see if ai can really hone in on the spot on the spot!

@@patrickpruden6907 Glad you’ve had some success. I know the bentonite comes in different forms…powder and granular. Thanks for watching and sharing your experience!

💯 So thankful for him! I’ve learned so much from him. I just want to send more people his way not just because his process and product worked for us, but because he’s invested in our solution and seeing it through to completion and not just out to make a sale….and shares his experience and knowledge to educate. Glad you’ve had the same experience! Thanks for watching and checking in!

Did you have vegetation on bottom of pond when you treated? Tj said can't treat with vegetation and I have two ponds I'm working on that have vegetation growth.

@@scottreese5492 I had some in the shallow rim around the edge of the pond…out to 5’ or so. But I only treated the deep part of the pond…and veg doesn’t grow that deep in our pond. I agree that the polymer will get stuck on leaves of the plants and fail to reach the clay bottom. So are thinking of a chemical treatment to kill off all plants? What’s the next step?

It was a small hook. I didn’t even realize it had buried when I got hit. Stung a bit coming out, but otherwise not too bad. It’s my daughter’s favorite story to tell now! Fun memory to share.

Thanks for sharing. That’s interesting about the soil tester. Did you test in morning or evening? Evening will be the highest pH, and early morning will be the lowest.

Tested around 4 pm But the pond kit and soil tester are never on the same reading

That’s a creative idea! If only I would have thought of that last year. The route I did go was also creative, and quite the fiasco…..but in the end, it has plugged the majority of the leak. So that’s good! Thanks for watching and sharing the idea. I may need it in the future.

That’s great! Glad you got in touch. Totally agree that TJ is as genuine as they come, and not out to sell you anything, but rather find the most cost effective solution for your pond! Hoping you see the results on your ponds that we’ve had.

Thanks for your honest feedback - here to help any and everyone with pond construction, rehab, or leak abatement issues. My time is always free and you're right - we're not here to sell anything - my mission is to continually expand the universe of leak abatement science one pond at a time and resolve leak issues as effectively and efficiently as possible! Happy to help however I can. TJ

I never did. I didn’t even see a distinct wet area back behind dam. The terrain is hard to navigate, but in my searching, I didn’t see anything. I believe the water was somehow connected to the groundwater system.

You’re welcome. I hope we didn’t ruin the surprises. I remember the first time I did it, and couldn’t believe this was in Minnesota. But 6 or 7 times later, it still doesn’t get old. Be sure to check out Devil’s Kettle in Judge Magney State Park as well as High Falls in Grand Portage. This would make an awesome day if you like waterfalls! And all three are within a 40 min drive of each other on the North Shore! Have a great time!

Hard to know what killed them. The first couple were shortly after the spawn this spring, and I know the spawning stress takes its toll, and I expect some not to make it each year. I think there will always be a small percentage of mortality even in a healthy pond. I don’t think there’s any systemic issue. The main difference this year is the vegetation and algae explosion. Our planktonic algae bloom has greatly changed the water clarity. This is largely a good thing I believe. But a new variable nonetheless that could have thrown a few fish out of whack. I believe your perch are deep seeking cooler water. I haven’t seen any of mine up shallow. Only on camera deeper.

@@newnatureadventures I'm looking forward to catching some perch and my first walleye come fall.

Yes, I’m thinking about a few carp. I would start with fewer though. Like 2-3 probably, and see how that goes for a season. Carp would help with the chara algae, but not the filamentous.

Well, that depends. That was only my second bag of the season. Some people feed a ton. I slowed mine down after the first month or so after the young forage started to hatch. I didn’t want my predators relying on feed to the point that they didn’t eat the bluegill fry, etc. I bet I could feed so much that I would go through a bag in a couple weeks. But instead I slowed my feeding rate down to only 3-4 seconds per day….and that has lasted almost 3 months. Depends on your goals I guess.

Thank you so much!!