Koi

[Jonas Staggs]

So I have stumbled on a few wild koi, in some creeks, washes, drainage ditches etc. I'm in SoCal. Thought it was pretty cool to see a koi that is wild rather than stocked or dumped. Anyone else come across wild koi?

[MN Fisher]

Koi are an invasive species - they're a type of Carp and can cause the same issues in water bodies that Asian Carp do. 'Wild' Koi that you've seen are either released by people tired of keeping them, or the descendants there-of.

[Jonas Staggs]

7 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Koi are an invasive species - they're a type of Carp and can cause the same issues in water bodies that Asian Carp do. 'Wild' Koi that you've seen are either released by people tired of keeping them, or the descendants there-of.

 

 

Yeah pretty sure these guys are descendants of releases, cool to see them establish themselves. You can catch them just like carp. Just amazing to see them survive without getting eaten. 

[Scott804]

I've seen them in a local pond, they will swim right up to the bank and look at you. I tried to throw some corn out on a hook to them once just for kicks but apparently Koi are smarter than that! 

[12poundbass]

34 minutes ago, Jonas Staggs said:

 

 

Yeah pretty sure these guys are descendants of releases, cool to see them establish themselves. You can catch them just like carp. Just amazing to see them survive without getting eaten. 

They’re not supposed to be established in North American waters. Catch as many as you can and throw them on the bank or better yet throw them in the trash. 

[slonezp]

32 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

They’re not supposed to be established in North American waters. Catch as many as you can and throw them on the smoker.

FIFY

[Sam]

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

Koi are an invasive species - they're a type of Carp and can cause the same issues in water bodies that Asian Carp do. 'Wild' Koi that you've seen are either released by people tired of keeping them, or the descendants there-of.

X2.  Never have seen a "wild" Koi but was told by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries they are an invasive species and if I caught any to let them know when and where.

 

The conservation officer did not tell me to kill any that I caught.

[TnRiver46]

We have some swimming in our rivers. They hang out with big schools of carp 

[12poundbass]

23 minutes ago, slonezp said:

FIFY

Flower beds and gardens. 

[slonezp]

1 hour ago, 12poundbass said:

Flower beds and gardens. 

That works too. 

[roadwarrior]

I have caught two over the years in a local pond. Neither fish survived.

[Koz]

Personally, I would destroy any invasive species that I caught and notify DNR. There can be huge repercussions in letting an invasive species populate not only in that body of water, but also with the terrestrial plant and animal life. It may take years or decades, but a ripple can become a tidal wave.

[MN Fisher]

33 minutes ago, Koz said:

Personally, I would destroy any invasive species that I caught and notify DNR. There can be huge repercussions in letting an invasive species populate not only in that body of water, but also with the terrestrial plant and animal life. It may take years or decades, but a ripple can become a tidal wave.

As I said earlier - Koi are as bad as Asian Carp in destroying a fishery. If I found/caught any here in MN - into a trash barrel it goes.

 

We also had an infestation here and they passed on a virus that killed quite a large number of Common Carp.

 

"In July of 2017, hundreds of dead common carp started washing up onto the shores of Lake Elysian near Mankato, MN; the ultimate death toll is thought to be in the thousands."

"Each group of fish were tested for a number of pathogens. Ultimately, fish associated with several lakes in the region tested positive for Koi Herpes Virus (KHV)."

https://www.vdl.umn.edu/news/koi-herpes-virus-minnesota-wild-fish

[Jonas Staggs]

Yeah they are invasive just like carp, and carp are everywhere, many times I find carp in water other fish can't survive. I don't get why there's so much hate towards carp. Sure they are invasive but they are bottom feeders so it's not like they are competing with bass. In fact they can be a food source for them. I have seen massive schools of baby carp in about the 4" range. You gotta figure the bass are feeding on baby carp them like they would a bluegill or what not. Regarding the koi, given there aren't many of them, it's amazing to see a few of them make it to be too big to be eaten, given that I'm sure most of their young are eaten up like goldfish. I saw the koi in a creek, and a drainage basin.

 

Another cool thing I saw regarding koi and carp at a duck pond in a shopping center was a hybrid fancy tail koi and a carp hybrid. Searched it up and apparently its possible. It looked basically looked like a fancy tail carp.

 

 

 

[MN Fisher]

1 hour ago, Jonas Staggs said:

Sure they are invasive but they are bottom feeders so it's not like they are competing with bass.

They stir up the bottom, clouding water and making it tough for other fish to even find food. They also eat many of the plants that form hiding places for fry and baitfish. I remember back in MA growing up...the city put a 'bounty' of $.10/pound on every carp we removed from Indian Lake in Worcester. One summer, a buddy of mine and I made almost $50 each bowhunting the carp...and this was in the late 60s - a fortune back then.

 

1 hour ago, Jonas Staggs said:

Another cool thing I saw regarding koi and carp at a duck pond in a shopping center was a hybrid fancy tail koi and a carp hybrid. Searched it up and apparently its possible. It looked basically looked like a fancy tail carp.

Well, Koi are actually a variety of Amur Carp - basically domesticated Carp...ya, they're Carp too.

 

Far as I'm concerned - all carp should be labeled as 'junk' fish and everything possible done to remove them from any body of water they exist without endangering the other fish.

[Jonas Staggs]

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

They stir up the bottom, clouding water and making it tough for other fish to even find food. They also eat many of the plants that form hiding places for fry and baitfish. I remember back in MA growing up...the city put a 'bounty' of $.01/pound on every carp we removed from Indian Lake in Worcester. One summer, a buddy of mine and I made almost $50 each bowhunting the carp...and this was in the late 60s - a fortune back then.

 

Well, Koi are actually a variety of Amur Carp - basically domesticated Carp...ya, they're Carp too.

 

Far as I'm concerned - all carp should be labeled as 'junk' fish and everything possible done to remove them from any body of water they exist without endangering the other fish.

 

I used to be really into traditional and primitive archery, still got several longbow and recurves, bowfishing always looked fun but never tried.

 

Carp are so well established here. There's no getting rid of them.They are literally everywhere, a lot of people are eating them, out of dirty ass water. Something I wouldn't do but a lot of people do.

 

There's people fly fishing them in the LA river too. Something I might want to try one of these days.

 

Have you ever caught one? They are strong fish and put up good fights. 

 

 

[MN Fisher]

1 minute ago, Jonas Staggs said:

Have you ever caught one?

Besides shooting them with a bow? Ya...on occasion

 

1 minute ago, Jonas Staggs said:

They are strong fish and put up good fights. 

So do catfish and sturgeon - but the Carp I've caught have either gone into the trash or as fertilizer in my garden.