Creating a Lake

[TOMDUALLY]

EDDIE; I'm going to try to post the website showing the ditch/bank mower and see if I get better results. Here it is: www.machinebuilders.net/plans/galle...ered Sidearm Cutter for Ditches and Banks.pdf

 

[EddieWalker]

Tom,

Thank you very much for posting that link. I wasn't able to find it on my own.

It's actually pretty smart in how simple it is. Just a long bar off the 3pt with a mower deck attached. I don't know if there is any advantage to using a ride along mower over a push mower, which I happen to have sitting around. In fact, I'm wondering if the wheels on the push mower would simplify things.

It would allow the mower to ride along on the ground and cut the grass at the exact height it's ajusted for. Then I wont have to adust the height all the time, or at all!!!

He mentions issues with stalling it and getting it started again. I'm sure that will get old real fast, but if I could mow it one time real good, then the rest should be easy.

Here's a picture of Lake Marabou from yesterday. You can see that the water is down 2 1/2 feet, but I still cannot get to all the grass growing along the edge. The dirt is just to soft for the weight of the tractor, even though it feels solid to walk on.

Eddie

 

[TOMDUALLY]

A walk-behind would work and you would as you say get the advantage of the already mounted wheels BUT you would give up the extra width and also notice that on the larger deck he has it rotated 90" so that the side discharge is now in the rear and blowing up and away from the lake thus not covering the water with grass clippings.

TOMD

 

[silverdollar6]

Eddie, Why not hook up a mower to pull behind your dumptruck? we know that it will get close to the lake.

 

[bmac]

Eddie,

I thought you folks have been getting alot of rain lately. Why is your lake level down? Am I mistaken about your rainfall? Evaporation? Leak?

Still, its looking good even down a couple of feet.

 

[EddieWalker]

Tom,

Thanks, I hadn't considered the discharge. I don't even know if the mower will run, nor do I know if it still works or not. You've planted the seed in my brain, now I need to let it grow and work itself out before doing anything.

Silver,

My first thought was how cool would that have looked with the dumptruck slowly sinking to the bottom of Lake Marabou. hahaha

bmac,

During the spring, we had record rains. Sometime in June they stopped. Off the top of my head, and this isn't accurate, but close, we get around 45 inches of rain in a normal year. We were over 50 inches of rain in the first half of the year. The water flowed from springs along my shoreline for another month, which kept my spillway flowing all that time.

Since June, we've only had another 2 or three inches total, and those have been small rains that just soaked up into the ground. Now that I have Lake Marabou, I'm very concious of what the water does when it hits the ground!! Heavy and fast gives me good watershed that raises the level of the lake. Slow and steady does nothing for me.

I haven't been paying really close attenting, but I'm guessing that I lose an inch to 2 inches a week depending on how hot the day is. Since this was my first year of summer, and there's no predicting the weather, I'm pretty happy with the results.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

We had family here at our home for Thanksgiving, and one of the things we were excited about was showing Lake Marabou to those who have never see it. We tried to have a hay ride last year for our Christmas Eve party, but it rained all day. The weather was supposed to be clear and cold, so I bought 10 square bales for $3.75 each. I don't know if that's good or bad, but it was local and easy.

About half of our guests went on the ride, the others were too busy fussing, or playing on fourwheelers, or shooting darts. This was a first for me, and something I've wanted to do since Soundguy posted his pics on hay rides he does. It was awesome!!!!

This picture is taken from the dam as I drove past the creek that is our property line. It gives a good idea of what the land looked like before I started anything. Thick and scarry!

It's raining today, and we're expecting several inches of water. Then it's supposed to be dry during the week and then rain again next weekend. We're having more family out that Saturday for another hay ride and a party, so we'll see what happens. Then the following weekend, a troop of Explorers are having a campout on the dam. I build a flat area on the dam that is perfect for setting up tents for a campground. It won't be that when the RV Park opens, but until then, it's an ideal location between Lake Marabou and the creek. They want to go on a late night hay ride well after dark. I'll have to stay to my bigger roads, but it sounds like fun. Cold, but fun.

The second picture is from last month, when Steph and I hosted a TBN Get Together here. It's probably the best picture of the dam that I've taken so far. You can see the water is down about 2 feet then. I think I'm down another six inches since then, and we haven't had any measurable rain, so that's what I consider normal evaporation. Temps have been in the low 80's just about every day.

The hay ride picture was taken from the dam just about where the people are standing in that second picture.

The third picture was also taken on top of the dam, but further down.
Mike, please tell me I got Bernice's name right this time!!!!

Eddie

 

[Renze]

Eddie, you are quite a handy guy, so why not put a used hydraulic motor on the lawnmower deck ? This solves 2 problems:
First, the gas engine hates tilting, and if you have bad luck, the tractor wheel could sink in a mudhole at the shoreline, tilting the mower further and drowning the gas engine under water.

the other benefit of the hydraulic motor is, if you hit a stump, the hydraulics will stop and blow off over the pressure relief, instead of bending the crankshaft when it comes to a sudden stop. (i had that once when i hit a brick with a Toro mower)

Also, safety: When your kids, or an animal, get too close to the machine you can switch it off without leaving your seat.

I am thinking of building a brush cutter, but i can decide if i want a nimble hydraulic boom mower, or a heavy duty PTO slashbuster... I'm following these ideas with interest

 

[TOMDUALLY]

"The weather was supposed to be clear and cold, so I bought 10 square bales for $3.75 each. I don't know if that's good or bad, but it was local and easy".

Thats a real good price, with the drought we've been having here they are selling between $7.50 and $12.50 a bale. Wish I still had that 50 acre hayfield, Oh well thats life!!

 

[EddieWalker]

My plan for bass was to wait until next fall and buy a bunch from my fish supplier, but that may have changed. I've been getting bass from my wifes step dad, who is a die hard fisherman. When he catches a bass that's over two pounds, he gives me a call and I meet him to get it. Then I bring it home and let it go in Lake Marabou.

This picture is of the one I just put in there today. It's 2 pounds, 9 ounces and might be the biggest so far. If not, it's real close to another one that went in about a month ago.

Does anybody know how to tell the males from the females?

My new plan for bass is to keep putting these 2 pounders in and hope that there are some of both sexes in there. I don't know how many it will take to stock 4 acres, but they are old enough to get things started.

Eddie

 

[patrick_g]

Does anybody know how to tell the males from the females?


Eddie

Uh, yaw Eddie. When you are cleaning them, the girl ones have a pair of egg sacks. If they are large and full of yellow eggs don't toss them out with the rest of the innards, fry 'em!

Couldn't resist. I have a friend who is a PhD biologist and he can't always tell (maybe usually tell.) I use the method described above.

Different species and different conditions result in different male to female ratios but once you have several fish it is virtually assured you will have both sexes and after they reproduce the initial ratio won't matter much. Unless caught at spawning time when behaviors might be significantly different the odds favor getting a mix of sexes that will generally follow the proportion in the waters being fished.

Short version: If you put in enough fish (10-20?) you will be pretty assured you will have enough of both sexes to get things going.

Pat

 

[EddieWalker]

Pat,

Thanks, that's pretty much what I was thinking too. I'm not much of a fisherman, so I didn't know if it was possible or not to tell them apart. Nobody that I've spoken too knows for sure, so they mystery remains on what I've put in there so far.

Does anybody know at what age they need to be to reproduce? All of them are pretty good sized, but I have no idea how old a two pound bass should be? A wild guess is that should be old enough to spawn next year, but I honestly don't know for sure.

I'm also getting them from two different ponds that he fishes. My thoughts are that I'll increase the genetic diversity this way. Of course, I don't know if that's important with bass or not. Both ponds are private and are really great for fishing, but nobody to our knowledge has cought one over five pounds. That seems to be about the biggest for both ponds. One pond is an acre, the other is over ten acres.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

I received a PM asking about wether it's legal to move fish from one pond to another, since it's not legal in some places.

Here in Texas, if you own the pond, then you own the fish in it too. Privately owned ponds do not have any fishing regulations, you do not need a fishing license and the landowner can pretty much do what he wants. There are a few laws restricting what you can put in there, but it's minimal and not really something that concerns me with what I'm doing.

Fish from one private pond are legal to catch and carry to another private pond. The key is privately own ponds here in Texas.

Eddie

 

[patrick_g]

Here in Texas, if you own the pond, then you own the fish in it too. Privately owned ponds do not have any fishing regulations, you do not need a fishing license and the landowner can pretty much do what he wants.

Fish from one private pond are legal to catch and carry to another private pond. The key is privately own ponds here in Texas.

Eddie

In Oklahoma, fish in a private pond are the owner's to do with as he pleases pretty much as in Texas so far as the owner is concerned.

Here is the real deal: (You will note we don't extend privileges to all states)

The following persons are exempt from the resident or nonï½*resident fishing license:

Residents under 16, and nonresidents under 16 who are residents of AL, AK, AR, CA, CT, DE, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, Ml, NH, NY, NC, ND, OH, TX, or Wl.

Nonresidents under 14.

Resident owners or tenants, their spouses, parents, grandparents, children and their spouses, grandchildren and their spouses who fish in private ponds on land owned or leased by such owner or tenant. Persons residing in another state who own land in Oklahoma but do not live on that land are not exempt.

Nonresidents 64 and older who are residents of Texas.

Resident disabled veterans with 60 percent or more disability. Call State Dept. of Veterans Affairs, 1-888-655-2838 for additional information.

Any person who fishes with pole and line, trotline or throw line in streams, natural ponds and mine pits in or forming the boundï½*ary of the county in which he is a bona fide resident, when using any bait other than commercial or artificial bait, blood, stink bait, cut fish, and shrimp.

Oklahoma citizens in the U. S. Armed Forces servï½*ing outside Oklahoma on authorized leave and with writï½*ten evidence on their person.

Any person legally blind or physically impaired who is unable to properly use fishing apparatus and one accompanying companion while the blind or physically impaired person is fishing.

Any patient of a state institution in Oklahoma established for the care and treatment of mental illness or alcohol or drug dependency or any person developmentally disabled residing in any group home or other institution or persons developmentally disabled when accompanied by an attendant of such institution or legal guardian or when fishing on institutional property.

Residents having a proven disability rendering them nonambulatory and confined to wheelchairs as certified by a duly qualified physician.

Job Corps trainees of this state, having a proper identification card.

Persons under 18 who are in legal and physical custody of the State of Oklahoma or its agencies by court order.

Persons under 18 who are in the custody of a child care facility as defined by Title 10 O.S., Section 402.

Persons fishing during Oklahomaç—´ Free Fishing Days.

So, in theory, there are people who need a lisc to fish a private (no fee for use) pond. Pay to fish concessions do not require a lisc.

I am proud of our state for giving active duty military and disabled vets and other classes of folks FREE FISHING.

Pat

 

[EddieWalker]

Pat,

After reading that, I'm thouroughly confused!!! Our fishing regs are pretty confusing too, but mostly it's about fish types and where you fish for them. The licensing is straight forward. If it's public water, you need a lisence and must follow the regulations. If it's private water, you can do with it as you please.

It's one of those common sense things that I like so much about Texas.

Eddie

 

[patrick_g]

Pat,

After reading that, I'm thouroughly confused!!! Our fishing regs are pretty confusing too

If it's private water, you can do with it as you please.

It's one of those common sense things that I like so much about Texas.

Eddie

Well, at least notice that when you are older, as a Texan, you can fish in Oklahoma with no lisc!

There is virtually a separate book for paddle fish and their roe.

Hey, I found that Oklahoma got smart and changed their no trespass signage requirements that required owners to "POST" their property. We are more like the great state of Texas (AKA Baja Oklahoma) now. Long overdue.

Pat

 

[Bird]

Pat, the odd thing is that Texans 64 and older don't have to have a license in Oklahoma, but in Texas you have to be born before September 1, 1930, to be exempt from needing a license.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Pat, I wish NY would follow suit. We still need to post our property otherwise it is considered privately owned public hunting land. In NY you can hunt on any property that is not posted with a 12x12 sign stating you can not hunt there. The signs need to be maintained and signed each year and have to no more then so many feet apart (I can't remember the exact distance). If you don't follow all the rules and someone goes on your land all you can do is toss him off. Our laws are terrible but New York wants to get rid of the deer so I doubt they are going to change it anytime soon.

Actaully, right now they are trying to push a section of the new Farm bill that would pay farmers so many dollars (I don't know how much yet) per acre to not post their land and keep it as public hunting ground.

I get tired of clearing boundry lines and updating our posted signs every year. I have no idea how many miles of boundry we have but it adds up to a lot of work just so we can hunt our own property without having people sitting in our tree stand or harassing our deer in the pens.

 

[patrick_g]

Pat, the odd thing is that Texans 64 and older don't have to have a license in Oklahoma, but in Texas you have to be born before September 1, 1930, to be exempt from needing a license.

Sorry about that, Bird. Yo can come fish my ponds without a lisc.

Pat

 

[patrick_g]

Pat, I wish NY would follow suit. We still need to post our property otherwise it is considered privately owned public hunting land.

I was told the law was changed last year but it didn't get communicated to the public very well. It did go out to the game wardens and such. I just found out by complaining to the legislative information guy at a recent Cattleman's Association meeting abot the dumb law and found it was fixed last year.

I thought it was really dumb to have to surround yourself with signs as if folks were so stupid they wouldn't know it wasn't there land without a reminder.

I would be quite happy if the law gave permission to the land owner or his designated representatives to use lethal force to prevent trespassing on fenced land. If you have to cross a fence or go through a gate that you don't own then you should do so at your own peril. Not much chance of seeing a bill like that come to a vote.

Pat