Cut the marginal plants back to near nothing, cut the lilies back to nubs, if in tubs, move to deepest part of pond. Remove all organic debris from the bottom, skim the leaves off, stick in either/or a combination of aerators, breathers, heaters, circulating pumps (everyone has an opinion, but opinions are like the posterior openings of digestive tracts, everyone has one because if we didn't, we'd all be full of it). Drain the filter units, disconnect the hoses to the pumps (I leave the pumps in year round, it's deep enough), ensure that the hoses drain. Clean the filters, get rid of the sludge (put the sludge in the garden). Cold water bacteria is a waste of money, IMO. I pressure wash my waterfalls to get rid of any string algae, it's easier to remove when it's wet than when it's dried out.
Call travel agent. Start performing essential liver exercises.
After that, it's every fish for himself. All mine are on a plate or on the end of a lure.
Come the Spring, I just hook up the tubing and hit "on". Commence essential liver exercises.
Repeat process on an annual basis.
