How does this even happen?

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ColeFishing

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jan 5, 2012
1,820
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Ohio
On my grandfathers property in New Symerna florida(somewhat near Daytona but it's in the country part aka where yankee Floridians don't live) he has a small pond. the pond was dug out a long time ago but was not naturally there. over time the fish seem to sorta "show up" here. we have had all sorts of fish show up including, a single monster bowfin, massive schools of hoplo catfish(100's of them however they disappeared after the cold kill in '07 and never returned), also just tons of bass, sunfish and some of the best looking spotted and florida gar i've ever seen. the pond has never been stocked so how do these fish show up?

Also, as a side note how could we kill all that invasive vegetation without harming the fish?

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Maybe birds are carrying them in? Or maybe people are just dumping?
 
metricliman said:
Maybe birds are carrying them in? Or maybe people are justdumping?
Click to expand...

We live in the middle of nowhere. It would require a lot for people to dump natives hear along with hoplos. I don't really think that's a possibility.


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Its quite common for birds to accidently carry fish eggs from one body of water to another. I have a few farm ponds that I fish that have never been stocked and are full of Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, and Catfish.
 
ColeFishing said:
We live in the middle of nowhere. It would require a lot for people to dump natives hear along with hoplos. I don't really think that's a possibility.


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Click to expand...

Birds. Fertile eggs are on their feet from another pond (eggs are typically encased in sticky protective sacs and adhere to any bird feet that get close enough) and get left at the new pond. There is a remote possibility that some birds use the eggs as bait as well (some birds drop things on the water to attract fish.)

It's a cool nature trick like fish eating fruit to spread seeds along river banks. Nature amazes me all the time.
 
I'd vote for the fairly regular floods. Heck, I remember after Jeanne there wasn't much at all that was underwater. Shortly after the waters receded I caught what to this day I swear was a young wels in my friend's pond. I spent years trying to catch another one but I've only ever seen the one. It had the right fins, jaw, colors. Everything.

Anyway, I vote floods. lol
 
+1 on the birds. For example, hoplos build foam nests, thus their eggs are sticky and stay at the surface.. Ideal conditions for a bird taking them with it.

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Waterfowl is #1 stocker of water bodies.
 
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