How Do You Deal With Nuisance Fish?

[Fun4Me]

If you live in an area where nuisance fish are posted, and you catch one, what do you personally do?

 

Is there a right or wrong way to deal with this scenario?

[frogflogger]

I was taught "you kill it you eat it" ethic - if I can't do that I release them - even oscars are decent eating.

[BassinLou]

If i catch a "nuisance" fish. I just release them like I would a bass.

[A-Jay]

 "Nuisance Fish" to me are the One's I Can't Catch ~

 

 

 

A-Jay

[Bruce424]

If its an invasive species that your state doesn't want. Then I would put it on a stringer keep it in the water to keep it alive then call the proper authorities. Tell them you caught an invasive species in your lake.

[Fun4Me]

At some of the lakes around here, Zebra mussels and white perch are on the list. I just didn't know if I was doing the lake a disservice by releasing a white perch back into the lake, as opposed to just eating it or disposing it by some other means.

[the reel ess]

In SC white perch have overcome the white bass wherever they've been introduced and are fierce competitors with crappie. DNR says they weren't stocked. They have lifted the limit and ask people to take as many as they can and don't return them to the water even if you waste them.  

 

They make good catfish bait. And they taste pretty good too. You tend to catch a bunch crappie fishing or bass fishing with cranks.

[Fun4Me]

So a good rule of thumb is, catch a nuisance fish and figure out something to do with it other than releasing it back into the lake?

[the reel ess]

If it's a native fish, like a gar or a bowfin, I would just release it.

[Fun4Me]

So far I've only seen White Perch listed on the sign at the boat ramp or listed on some of the signs at different lakes, so I would only be concerned with that specific species. 

[Raul]

You follow the rules of the Necromongers:

 

"You keep what you kill"

[the reel ess]

What makes white perch a nuisance to me is that they flare those gills and can slice your hand if you're holding them like a bluegill. And they tend to get all three hooks of a treble inside their mouth. Then sometimes they'll get the other treble in their tail or side, making it very difficult to get unhooked. Personally, since they've eradicated the white bass, I like to catch a whole lot of them at once. It's better than not catching crappie where they used to be.

[OkobojiEagle]

Chopped panfish makes a good garden fertilizer... turn it under.

 

 

oe

[slonezp]

Define nuisance. I would consider pike and musky a nuisance. I'm not going to kill them although grilled pike is quite tasty. In IL, the dnr instructs us to kill invasive's and we are not to be in possession of any live invasive's.

[Neil McCauley]

I throw nuisance fish- pickerel, juvenile bass, etc- back... 

 

Invasive nuisance fish- ie carp- should be destroyed. Boo-hoo.

 

There are designated invasive species disposal bins at all boat launches on some of the lakes I fish.

[slonezp]

I throw nuisance fish- pickerel, juvenile bass, etc- back... 

 

Invasive nuisance fish- ie carp- should be destroyed. Boo-hoo.

 

There are designated invasive species disposal bins at all boat launches on some of the lakes I fish.

Do you know that bass are invasive in certain reservoirs?

[no39]

I generally don't consider catching fish a nuisance.  I enjoy catching, admiring, and releasing them.  I don't understand why one would hold a species of a fish with reverence and another with disdain.  I've been disappointed during tournaments to find my smallmouth is a sheephead, but that's not really the fish's fault.  I try not to let others pretenses of fishing detract from the joys of mine.    

[Bluebasser86]

It's illegal to release a caught invasive in KS. I like to dispose of silver carp by cutting them into the right size chunks, putting them on a hook, and trying to feed them to a big blue cat. 

[OntarioFishingGuy]

No such thing as a nuisance fish - they're all the same to me.

[BooyahMan]

Nuisance fish? What nuisance fish? When I target bass I only catch bass.

All joking aside, where I am Bass are an invasive species and are considered a nuisance fish. I let 'em go just the same. 

[Scorchx1245]

It's illegal I think in NY to return gobies back to water. You're supposed to keep them. Either cut it up for cat fish bait, or fertilizer.

[SirSnookalot]

I'll kill a snakehead and let the buzzards have at it.

[clh121787]

Food . Cut bait for trot line

[Fun4Me]

It's illegal to release a caught invasive in KS. I like to dispose of silver carp by cutting them into the right size chunks, putting them on a hook, and trying to feed them to a big blue cat. 

 

Just so I understand correctly, you're saying that if I catch a white bass at El Dorado, which is posted on the sign at the dock as a nuisance species, it's illegal for me to release it back into the lake alive?

[Bluebasser86]

Just so I understand correctly, you're saying that if I catch a white bass at El Dorado, which is posted on the sign at the dock as a nuisance species, it's illegal for me to release it back into the lake alive?

White bass aren't an ANS fish, white perch are. From the KDWPT website regarding ANS fish species;

 

K.A.R. 115-18-10: Protect Kansas from nuisance species. You cannot import, possess, or release the listed live wildlife species without a permit.