Gold Fish in local pond

why.... I bet he is way more happy in that pond than in a fish bowl.....and I doubt he is causing any major ecological disasters....I looked at the other thread and I would love to catch a big ol gold fish like that one. That would be awesome!

Take some plain white bread and make some little dough balls. I caught goldfish that way when I was a kid.

rljb1,
Those guys have been in there for years. I first noticed them in 2001.
If you are really interested in catching all 24 or so, email me.

I'll give you the secret to catching them.

FS

Got Ice?--You are probably right--he likes it much better than the fishbowl.

RonnyCast--Thanks for the tip.

FishSeal--I didn't realize that there were so many - I will email.

let em be what are going to do with em put them on shore to die??

ObsessedFisherman - I would not throw it on the shore to die.

But, you do raise a good point--what to do with a Gold Fish if you catch and keep it.

My first thought is to "can" it. As a kid, when our family went fishing, if we caught a carp my mom would pressure can it. She had a great recipe, and we liked it better than tuna from the store. However, I don't think she would appreciate it if I FEDEXed her a Gold Fish for canning.

I don't have pressure caning equipment, and my wife says "ALL fish preparations are my responsibility" - so I would probably try smoking it--or maybe jerky (that could be a good reason to pull the dehydrator out of mothballs).

I caught one last year at simpson ponds but he was super aggresive and hit a lipless crank.

If you catch a goldfish, kill it. They actually are ecological disasters and their release is due to the irresponsibility of others. Goldfish are essentially carp except worse in every way. They are dumber, they don't fight, they lay more eggs, they specifically target fish eggs (whereas carp are generalists and don't really target any food item at any one time), they muddy the water more, and they create more waste.

They are in every way a trash fish and need to be removed from wherever they are. Of course, if it's 24 fish in a 100 acre lake, I don't think it's a huge deal. I would still kill them though. However, in shallow, neighborhood ponds they can decimate sportfish populations. I've seen it happen.

If you have a fish, or any other pet, that isn't "happy" in it's too-small enclosure, either give it away or euthanize it. NEVER release pets into the wild!

Here's the secret..a treble hook and weight. I hate seeing goldfish in ponds. I saw some in thomas and that was a bummer. Don't kno if snagging goldfish is illegal since their illegally put in in the first place but imo it would help more than hurt.

alright i guess the cats and birds will eat em....kill the gold fish......bounty up

Copeman23 - interesting - on a lipless crankbait - I'll bet that was a surprise.

I would be pissed if I pulled a Goldfish in while Bass fishing! I say get rid of it!

rljb1- yep i was shocked when he came in. Wish i knew back then to kill it... like a dummy i just put it back in. If i see it again this year i will know better.

my dad caught a big one at pikeview using biscuit dough

all you have to do is throw a rock!

Guys, keep in mind, goldfish and carp are different species.
Many times, we see a carp, call it a goldfish, but they are actually Koi. The is a pond in Fort Collins that used to have a 24 to 28" koi. Koi are carp, same species, just bred to produce color (and sold for thousands of dollars). However, every now and then, a "natural born" koi is produced.

This is a goldfish in this case. They can only get 5 feet long and live about 80 years, but the carp can attain a length of 8 feet and live for 100+ years.
It's in the minnow family, so no teeth in the "jaw structures."

Main difference, goldfish have no barbels, carp do. I'm hoping to catch a "koi" one of these days.

FS

You reminded me that I caught a big one on a piece of bologna in about 1963 at a Los Angeles area park. I'll add it to my list of species.

I'd like to make a note:


Please don't release aquarium fish into natrural habitats because they will not be preyed on by other game fish. It's obvious if a bass sees an orange fish that they won't take it. Of course they might or might not make it in lake conditions, but they can cause harm. One time I saw someone release their betta in this pond. It discusseded me and the thought of it is already gross. Give your fish away to someone who is willing to take care of it.

bass might not but I've seen ppl using those cheap gold fish and killing it at boyd with the whitebass near the inlet. They could of been rosey reds tho.

If I was a fish and saw something bright and struggling to swim, id investigate and probably naturally swipe at it.... maybe that's why albino animals don't live long in the wild.