So I guess kind of lay out the setup here. How long have you had the ponds here?
So we've had these ponds have been here since 1995, but we actually they were all
not plastic lined. They were clay lined for until probably six years ago. So six
years now we've had the plastic lined ponds. And how does that impact success
versus the old clay line ones? It's made it a lot easier for sure on getting the
final product like getting the fish out. It's there's it drains a lot better and
you lose way less fish. When we had just declared ponds you would lose a lot of
fish in the clay when you're trying to drain them. So it's it's definitely
improved our success rate. And how many? Obviously these are eggs that we saw you
harvest from Nimma Coggan. Yeah. And then you hatch down here or over at N8DF. So we
did Nimma Coggan for N8DF. Okay. So we collect eggs from the
Nimma Coggan for them. And then we were actually at Upper St. Croix Lake this
year. So that's the the walleye we have in our ponds. Okay. So we collected them
at the lake and then we brought them to our facility. We hatched from there into
tanks. And then from there we brought them out to here. Okay. So these are
destined for St. Croix. Yep. Upper St. Croix. And where they come from is where
they go back. Yep. That's what that's what we try to do every year. Okay. And how
many how many eggs do you think versus how many fry versus what do you expect
at the end? Yeah. So we when we collect eggs we try to get at least three liters
maybe four and it's roughly 90,000 to 110,000 per liter. So from there once they
hatch we stock each pond with roughly 80,000 fry at the time. And then by the
end we're looking at getting 15,000 total. So it's not a very good success
rate but it's better than what they would do in the lake. In the lake it's less
than 1% and we're pushing and we're doing better than that here. So what
impacts how the walleye survives? Obviously we're exposed to the elements
here. Yep. Yeah. So it's we check on them every day and then we you know make
sure they're being fed and we try to keep the predators away mainly the birds and
then you know it's just there's no other fish predators like in the lake
there's no you know yeah big predators eating the fish. The only
predators fish wisens themselves. So yeah look. Does that come into play by the
end of the season? Some of the bigger ones? So it's it's it actually starts
right away while I are very cannibalistic, they'll eat each other. So that's why
we're adding the fertilizer also to keep it turbid, keep the water darker so it
keeps down the cannibalism. Okay. So you've got a couple of interns here walk me
through how they came to to be here and what they're doing. Yeah I can do that.
They saw there from the Bayfield School. They they applied. We usually get two to
three interns from middle school to high school every year and usually so it's
just for the summer since they're in school still. They get to help with all
the natural resources so I get them just once in a while and we like to put them
to work and do hands-on stuff and then I mean they're only around for about
eight weeks usually and yeah we try to keep them busy. So what's it like for
you to be able to say all right here's what you gotta do get in there and just
do it right? Yeah oh yeah it's it's great I mean I've put in my time doing it a
lot and it's nice to see some kids here from Red Cliff actually interested in
it and actually doing the work so it's great. I mean they've got a good
attitude about it right? Oh yeah for sure. I mean if you find out real quick if you
don't like it. And so what is it that they're spreading here and what's the
purpose how does that play into it? So what they're spreading is alfalfa meal. So the
purpose of alfalfa meal is to get the bugs going in the water and also keep it
turbid like I said and so the the while I eat the bugs it's the easiest way to
explain it. Okay and this is that so today while I start out eating algae are they
always going for bugs or what's that food? Yeah so they start out with algae
too. While I will pretty much eat anything they can get their mouths to fit
on so we do get problems with the toads but the while they aren't quite big
enough yet to be elite tadpoles but they'll they'll eat anything they can
get their mouths on pretty much. Okay and this does draw in enough bugs that they
can. Yeah yep for sure it's with the black clay lined or black plastic line we
get the water heated up pretty nice and it gives a nice boom of bugs. Okay and
just what kind of bugs? Everything imaginable? Yeah pretty much anything you
know like it's it's getting in here we also get the whatever comes from like
off the birds legs too. We also get put in here and then the wind I mean hopefully
they eat the wood ticks too. I'm hoping. It would be nice right? Yeah.
So as far as the cycle for that for the wall I we bought F way or where were we
in there? Yeah so it's easiest to say we start in the end of April and we're
done in the second week of October so whatever that timeframe is. Okay not
quite six months. Yeah okay so we're easily you know two two months in yeah
maybe a third of the way yep third of the way. Very cool. Yeah all right looks like
they need some more.