Transporting Fish to a different body of water? 2024

PARROTTHEAD_VOL reply :

How do you guys feel about transporting fish from one body of water to another?

Let's say I go to the lake and catch five nice fish, and decide to transport them to my buddy's pond? The fish would stay alive, but now they would be in another (Private) body of water?

I am BIG on catch and release. Main reason being the fact that the fish can grow and may turn into a big trophy. (For me, or someone else)

Reason I ask, is because my buddy has a nice (very nice) pond, and he let's me fish it. He ask me to bring in my keeper anytime I catch them at the lake. So...................

Where do guys/gals stand on this??????????????????? :-/

Raul reply :

Isn 't that ILLEGAL ?

BucketmouthAngler13 reply :

if i cought a big bass, and had a pond, i would.

Captain Cali reply :

It is illegal to transport live sport fish in California. Check your local law before doing something that may get you in trouble.

PARROTTHEAD_VOL reply :

Never thought about it being illegal? I figured once you caught it, as long as it was a keeper, that you could do what you wanted with it?

Gatorbassman reply :

Yea it's a good idea to check your game laws. Transporting a fish to a different body of water can spread diseases.

guest reply :

Probably every state prohibits fishermen moving fish to public waters. I doubt stocking a private pond with a harvested fish from public water is illegal except in the event a state is intent of stopping the spread of some disease, then including private ponds using public fish in the regulations.

However, it's a really effective method of bringing in LMBV, parasites, fungi, strange bacteria, PCB/mercury contaminated fish.....

You are much better off in the long run using certified fish from inspected nurseries.

Jim

Fish Chris reply :

As stated, it's illegal in Cali. Not sure about other states.

However (and I think this is important to understand) In-Fisherman did a study which showed that a high percentage of large bass, which had been removed from certain lakes, tagged with radio transmitters, and released in other lakes, died within a few weeks, to a few months. I don't think they knew exactly why this was, but the theory was, that for a bass to get huge (very few do) they have to fit perfectly into there environment..... like a piece in a puzzle. Moving them to an unfamiliar lake just kind of leaves them not able to fit in, and the bigger and older they are, the harder it is for them to adjust.

All of this said, I once caught a bass which was tagged by the Ca DFG nearly 5 years earlier. It weighed 5 lbs and had been obtained from another lake, then transplanted to Clear Lk. When I caught her, she then weighed 11-7..... so apparently, she handled the move just fine.... but then she was probably pretty young when they moved her.

Peace,

Fish

guest reply :

I've read about quite a number of big bass put in a pond only to be butted to death by resident bass. Other bass just won't let a newcomer, expecially a big one, jump into their pecking order. Failing to locate and claim a really good ambush spot could easily spell death for a big bass used to feeding from the best cover. If the big bass is left having to chase minnows for a living, it's toast.

This is the same principle involved in stockpiling bass near weigh-in stations. The main reason you see more bass released around a lake by special fish movers is to prevent piling them up near one ramp, making life miserable for resident bass, and none of the released bass finding a good feeding position soon enough to thrive. Few if any (LMBs) are able to swim back home if caught more than a few miles away. At least by redistributing them the problem is diluted, not focused in one area. Many, especially on large lakes, still fail to get back into a good enough feeding habit to be ready for winter. They are not like stripers which are comfortable swimming from one end of a lake to the other several times a week.

The only sure way to assure a big bass will thrive after being caught is to release that bass right back where it was caught, right away, no more than a mile away. The farther that bass is removed, the longer it takes to get back to it's home, and the more likely another big bass has taken over its favorite spot.

Jim

CrazedL.IFisherman reply :

I want to thank all of you guys who commented on this topic, it never crossed my mind and i learned alot, thanks parrothead for asking this question, i was fascinated to read all the replies, i didn't think if the new fish was large he would have a problem but now i know

Bassassasin12 reply :

is putting 1 or 2 pounders into a pond that bad for it? I did my own little experiment and caught a fish in the main lake. Talked with the "fishing police" as I call them. And he said it was alright to take a couple of them and put them in the pond right across the street. I took a picture of this 2.5 pounder and put him in the pond. About a year or two later I caught this same fish and he was 5.6. I guess it's really a matter of do how healthy the body of water is and how the certain fish adapts.

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

C'mon man, they make laws for a reason. Read above.

You could have doomed your pond.

How do you know it was same bass? Tagged? I ask because it takes alot longer than a yr or 2 for a 2.5 to grow to 5.5 in New England.

Matt Fly reply :

Tx laws prohibit the transfering of game fish from public water to other Public waters, but doesn't include private lands.

Seining tanks about this time of the year due to droughts is very commonly done in Texas to save fish. However, it is advised that you do not over stock another small or smaller pond where oxygen levels would be depleated.

I prefer the seine and fry method. Easy meal or two.

New State Law proposed, said you must wash your boat or remove "ANY" vegitation from trailer and boat. No more grass hanging off the skids or axle going down the road. Clean your livewells also.

Law is to prevent the spread of unwanted vegitations and possible virus.

It only makes sense not to let people move fish from public waters to other public waters.

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

In RI, they have an education course about transporting vegetation. Takes 5 minutes to get educated and they give you a "weed educated" sticker. I had to do it just cause the sticker is right up my alley,lol

Like Matt said, these actions are no joke. The fines for transporting weeds on your boat, motor or livewells is steep, even for a 1st offense. All it takes is 1 time to ruin the next lake you venture to. I, for one, am all for it.

guest reply :

Its illegal here in PA If you dont know what you are doing you could also be putting unwanted diseases,weeds and parasites from pond to pnd That'll really help the fishing,I DONT THINK SO

guest reply :

There was an article somewhere about a municpal lake that installed a boat washing facility, closing all ramps not having a washer. At first any boater showing up with residues on boat or trailer was required to submit to washing for $40 a wash. The entire boat and trailer is run through the wash. Now I think they require that regardless of how clean upon arrival because of zebra muzzel eggs. The outboard lower unit is cleaned too. It was probably an effort to protect a drinking water supply. I'll try to find that article. It's just one more restriction in a wave of them beginning to catch on. We need to self police ourselves and fellow anglers or all will pay dearly for the neglect of the few.

Jim

Raul reply :

Quote
is putting 1 or 2 pounders into a pond that bad for it? I did my own little experiment and caught a fish in the main lake. Talked with the "fishing police" as I call them. And he said it was alright to take a couple of them and put them in the pond right across the street. I took a picture of this 2.5 pounder and put him in the pond. About a year or two later I caught this same fish and he was 5.6. I guess it's really a matter of do how healthy the body of water is and how the certain fish adapts.

For many years I owned an aquarium store, owning an aquarium store can be a tricky business if you are not careful beacuse you can and will loose hundreds of dollars worth of fish if you are not careful. The story is, once I purchased a lot of Corydoras leucomelas, got the fish stocked them in a tank, the fish looked healthy and fine. During the next days I spotted a Corydoras immitator between the others, C immitator is named like that because it imitates the color pattern of the predominant species and for us fish collectors is quite a find, so I scooped it out of the tank, looked for more but didn 't find another it was a unique specimen.

So I was so happy of finding such a finding that I decided to keep it right away and place it in my personal tank at home that was also stocked with exotic and very expensive fish, I had Wattley discus ( exotic varieties ), Corydoras panda, Corydoras pygmaeus, Corydoras julli, mango plecos, zebra plecos and golden nugget plecos just to name a few of the varieties I had in that tank, thousands of dollars invested in exotic fish. I made the stupid mistake of introducing an uquarantined fish in my tank........whatever the fish had with him went into the tank and it took the disease a week and a half to wipe out my entire collection of rare fish.

Does that answer your qustion ?

fishingrulz reply :

I wouldn't...why? Its probably illegal and not worth it. Plus thats a lot of stress for a fish especially a big one. You wouldn't want to do all that only to have the thing die.

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

Raul- Had you placed that fish in it's own tank loaded with Aquarisol (or the blue stuff they use in baitstore tanks to kill parasites) for a week or so, do you think this would have prevented your misfortune?

Vyron reply :

Funny think is I just came from the pet shop with lots of medicine for my aquarium and i c this topic

Protozin, Myxazin,bacterlife,conditioner and the list goes on

And for the topic , please dont try 2 move fish into a new place . Most likely a disease will spread everywhere.

langs15 reply :

Illegal, but first check your state laws liek the others stated!

Raul reply :

Quote
Raul- Had you placed that fish in it's own tank loaded with Aquarisol (or the blue stuff they use in baitstore tanks to kill parasites) for a week or so, do you think this would have prevented your misfortune?

I should have quarantined the fish LBH in a quarantine tank for 30 days to start with, if within 30 days the animal shows no signs of disease then it 's ok, I don 't medicate unless there 's disease. Using medications as "preventive" is not a good idea, if you have an outbreak then you don 't have anything to treat it. The only "preventive" medication I recommend is methilene blue because methilene blue is not really a medication it 's a fungistat, it deters fungi ( mold ) from growing.

You have no idea how many times I kicked me in the rear end when that happened, I broke one of the few rules I had and not only it cost me in money, it cost me in almost irreplaceable fish. Imagine this, each tank in the aquarium store had it 's net, everyday all the nets were removed and placed in a bucket with coloidal silver ( a killer desinfectant ) all night long to kill anything. It was strictly forbidden to scoop out fish with a net from a different tank. The weeks batch of new fish were never placed in tanks that already had fish form a previous batch. With saltwater fish the sanitary measures were even more extreme. With 300 tanks things can go very wrong, very fast if you are not careful and you loose twice, you loose the investment and you loose the profit.

guest reply :

Hey Raul this is kind of related Our home lake has a new weed in it and its overrunning a lot of areas Probally someone threw a minnow buckt in or somethins It loos a little like hyrdilla and when you pull it out it has hair like tips that are dark and look like little animal tails Ill have to get a camera Do you know what this stuff is its growing fast and hard?

Troutfisher reply :

It is legal to stock fish in private ponds here in WV. My friend's family goes out on their boat to a large river and catches channel cats and releases them into their pond....It seems to not be a big problem. As long as you don't bring anything foreign to a pond or other body of water....

jtbassman reply :

I would think if you caught a keeper fish out of a lake and you wanted to put that fish in your pond,(private land), there is nothing wrong with that. Of course you take the chance of diseases in doing that.

PARROTTHEAD_VOL reply :

I appericate all of the response I have gotten!

My friend has a super pond, and I am going to print this and take it to him. I would hate to see that thing take a turn for the worse! :'(

I am off to fish, and plan on doing a report later. Hope I catch a few! 8-)

Chug Bug reply :

"Weed Educated" sticker......that's priceless.

Lane reply :

:-[ Wow! Raul, you really did lose some valuable fish! That was an impressive collection of

tropical fish. My husband still talks about the his Wattley Discus tank that Mr. Wattley donated to him for

research when he was

lead researcher for an aquarium laboratory. I agree, fish should not be transfered from

one body of water to another, especially wild fish.

I believe that the LMBV originally was introduced through the escape of tropical fish, such

as guppies from the farms in Florida. We will probably never know for SURE, but that virus

is VERY close to the ranavirus found in asian guppies.

Fish Chris reply :

Reading your post really brought back some memories ! I used to have a Corydoras collection of 23 different species in one 100 gallon tank, at one time ! Along with 180 Cardinal Tetras :-) (Paracheirodon Axelrodii)

My most rare and treasured Cory's were C. Atropersonatus, and C. Narcissis.

Anyway, I too had introduced an oddball fish (some strange kind of Tetra) that flat wiped out ALL of my 180 Cardinals, and many of my Corys in less than a week :-( I even had a UV sterilizor.... but unknown to me, the bulb had previously gone out :-( Of course I replaced it right away, but once the bacteria had made it from the one sick fish, to the rest, it was already too late.

Fish

Dane reply :

Quote
In RI, they have an education course about transporting vegetation. Takes 5 minutes to get educated and they give you a "weed educated" sticker. I had to do it just cause the sticker is right up my alley,lol
Like Matt said, these actions are no joke. The fines for transporting weeds on your boat, motor or livewells is steep, even for a 1st offense. All it takes is 1 time to ruin the next lake you venture to. I, for one, am all for it.

I for one am most definately "weed educated". A day on the water isnt the same...but back to the topic at hand

I have transplated 3 smallmouth from a public river, to my private fish hatchery, and they are still alive and well.

RobDar reply :

it is illegal in most states...

as well as you run the risk of ruing your buddies pond and killing off any fish already there. The immune system of a fish is supplemented as well as adjusted to its home body of water...sometimes even a particular area of its home body of water. With risks like LMBV and other infectous diseases...I think it would be highly irresponsible to move fish from one place to another.

Why not just get a permit and stock your buddies pond?

-hydrillagorilla- reply :

We do it all the time. Although we are moving fish from private to private.

Bassassasin12 reply :

LBH the 5.6 I caught wasnt tagged but it looked exactly the same as the picture I had taken as it had a small dot right above it's eyes. it could have been a different fish and fish don't normally grow that fast in new england but this pond is loaded with tons of bait and lots of vegetation and i think over two years it is the same fish, but I could defenitly be wrong. i don't do it too often but I have never seen a dead fish in that pond, not even a bluegill, and the fish that are in there where not stocked fro ma hatchery the maker of the pond caught all the fish in there from the lake right across the street. I am still worried about disease in the pond so I am not going to d othis again but I think I got lucky the first couple of times.

NJfishinGuy reply :

when i was younger my father cought a baby bass with his hand about 2.5 long. well he got it home and we set up a huge tank for it. well we had that bass in our tank for about 2-3 years. it was alot of maintence to keep the water good for him but he lived and got to be about 2.5lbs then we took him and let him go in a small local pond. that pond never had bass and now when u go there u can kill em on the right secret lures we also let other bass go there not just 1. anyway we did it again with a small bass i cought when i was about 13 and we kept him for a while and let him go also. its alot of fun watching a largemouth in a big fish tank creep around the fake plants slowly then all of a sudden pounce on a little minnor or guppy whatever we were feeding it at the time.

guest reply :

It is against the law in every state I have fished NY,NJ,PA,LA,TX and FLA to take a game fish home and put it intoo an aquarium Fellow anglers please follow our game laws

Bassassasin12 reply :

Salable fish may be transported in any number. Fish caught elsewhere may be transported into New York State in any manner, except parcel post, in the number that may be legally exported from the place of taking, subject to the following:

Quote from NY state DEC site. it isn't technically illegal but I will never do it again i don't want to ruin my pond. I am glad i read this post.

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