I agree, hopefully he will look at the reasons stated and realize that the risks to the enviroment that he obviously enjoys are just to great to risk with releasing his pet back into the wild.
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- Thread starter scalesandfins
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I agree, hopefully he will look at the reasons stated and realize that the risks to the enviroment that he obviously enjoys are just to great to risk with releasing his pet back into the wild.
The reasons already stated in the thread center around two things - 1. none of us have a sterile environment to keep fish in to release back into the wild & 2 - it's generally illegal. I personally know people who work in the fisheries industry. They often catch fish to collect data. Once they have been taken from the point of collection they are either given away or euthanized.
Please take to heart what people are telling you. It's fine to catch and keep the fish, just please don't release the fish back into the wild.
If you don't harm the population or the lake, it may harm the hobby in general by not following the laws of fish and wildlife.
Please take to heart what people are telling you. It's fine to catch and keep the fish, just please don't release the fish back into the wild.
If you don't harm the population or the lake, it may harm the hobby in general by not following the laws of fish and wildlife.
If you would really like me to address the practice you are describing I think this would be a fair place to start.
Can you be 100% sure that nothing that comes in contact with these fish has been contaminated with parasites or bacteria? That would mean all clothing that you wear when feeding, sanitizing your hands before feeding, sanitized nets, buckets and food feed to the feeder fish? All lighting, tank decor etc should be 100% sanitized. It will also be essential to maintain the proper light and temp cycles to simulate what is happening in their naturally ocurring body of water, and also keeping the fish in a very large enclosure so that they actually have to chase and hunt food (not this panzy stuff our pet fish get - catching a few guppies in 20 gallon tank - that does not require and stamina on the predator's part or any planning). You will need larger feeders than mosquito fish as the bass get larger. Since you stated you will be feeding fish from the lake they were caught in, do you have the ability to catch enough of the appropriate size food items all year? These feeders should not really be feed flake or pellet food since you can't say for certain what ingredients are going into that food. Worms would make a good choice, but would have to be wild caught in close proximity to the lake avoiding all fertilizers and pesticides.
If you are certain all the above criteria are met, I would take a sample of the water and have it tested by a lab along with fecal matter from all fish involved and have it tested for parasites and possible bacterial infection (I am not certain how you would get a fecal sample, maybe a vet could help with that). If those are all negative I would then contact your local wildlife officer to check legality of the issue for a final answer on the subject.
In reality, I would recommend giving the fish to someone who can properly house (think display tank at LFS, bait shop, nature center or someone with an isolated garden pond).
Can you be 100% sure that nothing that comes in contact with these fish has been contaminated with parasites or bacteria? That would mean all clothing that you wear when feeding, sanitizing your hands before feeding, sanitized nets, buckets and food feed to the feeder fish? All lighting, tank decor etc should be 100% sanitized. It will also be essential to maintain the proper light and temp cycles to simulate what is happening in their naturally ocurring body of water, and also keeping the fish in a very large enclosure so that they actually have to chase and hunt food (not this panzy stuff our pet fish get - catching a few guppies in 20 gallon tank - that does not require and stamina on the predator's part or any planning). You will need larger feeders than mosquito fish as the bass get larger. Since you stated you will be feeding fish from the lake they were caught in, do you have the ability to catch enough of the appropriate size food items all year? These feeders should not really be feed flake or pellet food since you can't say for certain what ingredients are going into that food. Worms would make a good choice, but would have to be wild caught in close proximity to the lake avoiding all fertilizers and pesticides.
If you are certain all the above criteria are met, I would take a sample of the water and have it tested by a lab along with fecal matter from all fish involved and have it tested for parasites and possible bacterial infection (I am not certain how you would get a fecal sample, maybe a vet could help with that). If those are all negative I would then contact your local wildlife officer to check legality of the issue for a final answer on the subject.
In reality, I would recommend giving the fish to someone who can properly house (think display tank at LFS, bait shop, nature center or someone with an isolated garden pond).
The OP is going to get the ****tiest marine biologist of 2012 award. (And probably '13, 14,15...)
I'm gonna take guess here that if he is far along in the degree he has gone fish collecting. Rarely are clothes and gear given anything more than shaking out before jumping into the next water basin over or from site to site or even from storage to site. If this is the basis of your doubt, OP, I've got a feeling that'll be changing soon for the reasons mentioned. Expect sanitation regulations in the next decade or so. On our trips, we average 500 miles and dozens of sites in a 36 hour period. The nets don't even dry in that time so exposure and transportation of foreign pathogens and small organisms obviously possible.
And why don't you just throw em on the grill when they hit 14+ inches? Largemouth bass have been introduced in the south as a feeder fish for humans. You have already stated that they are kept in what you consider ecologically safe environments. It'll probably be healthier than store bought fish.
Just curious, are you in Galveston or College Station? Mighta seen ya this summer.
-Aquatic Biology student at TSU and avid fisherman.
