I moved to the KC area of Missouri last winter. My new place has an established retention pond with bass, freebies and some cats. Last spring I saw a ball of fry about the size of a socket ball and really dense. It was being guarded by one of the bass so I assumed it was bass fry. I did not see any juvenile bass thru the rest of the year. I was thinking about collecting a few in the spring and growing them out in my 75 gallon tank. At the same time I am really wanting to try a school of red daces or some topminnows, probably from Zimmerman's. Maybe even a bunch of pygmy sunfish. What do you guys think I should do?
Wait til spring or order from Zimmerman?
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Thanks. Just for the record it would not be their forever home. Just until they get some size.
Just noticed my phone changed greenies to freebies in the fish list earlier.
Just noticed my phone changed greenies to freebies in the fish list earlier.
from what I've read, that would only be a month or two if properly cared for. I'd love to keep one as well, so I get the temptation, but even my 245G is probably too small for a largemouth. I've tried convincing myself otherwise, but haven't been doing too good. plus figure a LMB can live 25-30 years, that takes a dedicated fishkeeper.
did you plan on just putting them back in your pond? that can be done if circumstances are right, a isolated pond that doesn't flood would probably be ok, but even then your taking a risk with the local wildlife. bad enough to wipe out your pond with a stray disease, but a bird or raccoon could spread the damage around.
I'm currently digging around looking for a local fish farm that will sell me a smallmouth or two, catch limit here is 14" and I'd like 2"-3".
it won't be for a few more years yet, my sunnies have a few more years left in them.
did you plan on just putting them back in your pond? that can be done if circumstances are right, a isolated pond that doesn't flood would probably be ok, but even then your taking a risk with the local wildlife. bad enough to wipe out your pond with a stray disease, but a bird or raccoon could spread the damage around.
I'm currently digging around looking for a local fish farm that will sell me a smallmouth or two, catch limit here is 14" and I'd like 2"-3".
it won't be for a few more years yet, my sunnies have a few more years left in them.
You are right. I have cranes stop by all the time to snack on my fish. One took off with a decent size bass this summer. I will stick with fish I can keep for life. Heck, I am still torn between the Amazon biotope I want to do and sticking with native.
Depending on the food sources available within the pond, you might have good luck with a minnow trap. I have a retention pond within my neighborhood chock full of stunted green sunfish, I can throw a minnow trap in for 2 hrs and come back to see 20 in there. (typically use them for channel catfish bait) If you have one laying around, I'd toss it in and see what you can catch. I typically bait mine with dogfood and/or old bread.
I don't know how long you've been in Mo, but we have some of the most beautifull Longear sunnies around; some of the tributaries off of the Missouri river have what Zimmermans calls the "Missouri Longear", we also have Orange spotted and if you get down into the Ozarks on the White river we have the Ozark Bass which make good aquarium mates with Longear. If you have the right filtration and cover a 75g would work.
I think you should wait. Catching your own fry and raising them is much more rewarding then ordering them online. As for your decision on Amazon or natives I will go with natives. No heater is needed which makes one less thing which can go wrong and you can move them outside if needed. You can also go out and catch native fish which will save you some money. If you want some color you can add koi as well.
The idea of keeping the bass from my pond was more of a grow out idea. I don't think it all that bad considering my pond is completely isolated and I have no other fish in my tank. this setup has only even had wild caught natives, rescued from a drainage ditch that flooded then was drying up. Those fish were given away before I left Iowa and the tank has just been snail and plants since. Anyway, I don't think I will be messing with the pond bass since I can not keep them forever in the tank and I don't want to risk a bird or raccoon carrying something from my pond to local waterways, bird mostly since the nearest body of water that is not my neighbors retention pond is a lake about 15 miles away.
I have only been in Missouri for a year and have not had a chance to go fishing at all. How Big do these Ozark Bass get? I am more of a quantity kind of fish keeper, I like watching schools move around the tank. I doubt any size bass could be kept with shiners or minnows.
So, since I will not be housing my bass, anyone know what I have to do to be able to catch local baitfish and put them in my aquarium? Are there any nice looking local baitfish or should I order some from Zimmerman or the other online fisheries?
As a scale of what I consider nice, my favorite setup so far has been my Asian setup with an huge school of White Clouds. Biggest fish in that setup was my Red Tailed Black Shark that got to 6 inches before I lost them all to a winter blackout.
I have only been in Missouri for a year and have not had a chance to go fishing at all. How Big do these Ozark Bass get? I am more of a quantity kind of fish keeper, I like watching schools move around the tank. I doubt any size bass could be kept with shiners or minnows.
So, since I will not be housing my bass, anyone know what I have to do to be able to catch local baitfish and put them in my aquarium? Are there any nice looking local baitfish or should I order some from Zimmerman or the other online fisheries?
As a scale of what I consider nice, my favorite setup so far has been my Asian setup with an huge school of White Clouds. Biggest fish in that setup was my Red Tailed Black Shark that got to 6 inches before I lost them all to a winter blackout.
I have a 75 gallon minnow tank. A lot of fish in there I have caught microfishing. You could just get a fishing license and go dipnetting or use minnow traps. You can find some nice shiner species. Darters are also pretty incredible too. They are fun to keep.
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