News, People dumped their pets into lakes

[Tennessee Boy]

People have been using goldfish for bait on trotlines for decades.  Some of them obviously get off the hook.  I'm sure if a game warden caught you with a bait bucket full of gold fish today it would not end well.

 

[TnRiver46]

1 minute ago, Tennessee Boy said:

People have been using goldfish for bait on trotlines for decades.  Some of them obviously get off the hook.  I'm sure if a game warden caught you with a bait bucket full of gold fish today it would not end well.

 

I think it’s legal bait (here)

[Tennessee Boy]

Just now, TnRiver46 said:

I think it’s legal bait 

Are you sure about that?  I thought you have to either buy bait from an approved dealer or catch it yourself from the same body of water you're fishing.

 

[Bird]

Cichlids come from many different regions and were the most popular species in the world of aquaria. 

They were often recommended for start up aquariums because of how hardy they are.

 

The problem arises when hobbyist fail to due research and find out the fish is out growing the tank and or to aggressive for tank mates " common with cichlids " and think they're doing the right thing by dumping them into local waters. 

Same story with snakeheads. 

 

[TnRiver46]

7 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Are you sure about that?  I thought you have to either buy bait from an approved dealer or catch it yourself from the same body of water you're fishing.

 

 

 

Goldfish are fair game, don’t even have a number limit 

 

 

 

 

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

 

[Tennessee Boy]

34 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

 

 

Goldfish are fair game, don’t even have a number limit 

 

 

 

 

Wow.  So a licensed angler (like me) can harvest their own bait, even in another state,  and use it in Tennessee.

[TnRiver46]

17 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Wow.  So a licensed angler (like me) can harvest their own bait, even in another state,  and use it in Tennessee.

Well, it depends on what it is. There was another list of banned species (gobies, some kind of crawdads, and carp) 

[PressuredFishing]

On 7/12/2021 at 4:36 AM, Captain Phil said:

This has been going on in Florida for years.  There are canals in South Florida that are wall to wall with Oscars and all types of aquarium fish.  Even a few piranhas have been caught.  It's difficult to catch a bass in those canals because the exotics get to your bait first.  Peacock bass from South America have been stocked.  My wife spotted a large pet python roaming my neighborhood in Central Florida.  The Everglades is full of those snakes and the State is encouraging people to hunt them.  Those big snakes are eating all the raccoons and small mammals. There may be a T Rex out there as far as I know.  ?

The peacocks are going to kill me eventually...... (and I don't mean the fish)

[Deleted account]

4 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Wow.  So a licensed angler (like me) can harvest their own bait, even in another state,  and use it in Tennessee.

Only if it is legal to harvest and transport in that other state. Darn Republic!

[TnRiver46]

1 minute ago, BassWhole! said:

Only if it is legal to harvest and transport in that other state. Darn Republic!

I can’t even transport shad from the cast net to the bucket without them dying haha. Fragile little boogers 

[Tennessee Boy]

6 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Well, it depends on what it is. There was another list of banned species (gobies, some kind of crawdads, and carp) 

Yeah I get that.  I’m not gonna be going out of State to catch bait.  I almost never fish with live bait.  I thought it was illegal to transport fish from one body of water to another.  I guess there’s an exception for baitfish ( the legal ones).

[Further North]

On 7/12/2021 at 6:36 AM, Captain Phil said:

My wife spotted a large pet python roaming my neighborhood in Central Florida.  The Everglades is full of those snakes and the State is encouraging people to hunt them. 

Do they taste like chicken?

[gim]

I think the point here by the OP is to stop dumping fish and animals into an environment they are not supposed to be. Keep your goldfish in its tank, your python in its cage, and your cat in the house. Ecosystems have a natural food chain and introducing something that is not native can cause catastrophic issues.

[soflabasser]

47 minutes ago, Further North said:

Do they taste like chicken?

I would not eat a python or any other large exotic animal since they are full of methylmercury and other nasty chemicals.

11 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

it may be the native sunfish that can't compete.  

 

We find big bass and big cichlids side by side, and a dearth of small fish.  

Same pool as the cichlid above - yellow bellies in this pool were really shy.  

I catch big bluegills and other sunfish often when fishing for exotic fish which is more proof the exotics are nowhere as bad as some people make them to be, at least in South Florida. People are never going to be able to get rid of all the exotics since they are very adaptable.  They might be able to get rid of some but never all of the exotic animals no matter how hard they try, this is a fact. A good example is common carp, these fish have lived for a long time in the USA even with so many people trying to eliminate them but they have failed. In fact common carp are very common in many states. I can list more examples of exotic fish that have been here for decades but it is not needed. Might as well enjoy catching them since exotic fish are here to stay.

[bulldog1935]

Biological pollution remains a reality.  

In the Texas hill country, only two A-strains of endemic Guadalupe bass remain in the wild, isolated by aquifer recharge (the creek disappearing into the ground), and a waterfall.  Smallmouth stocking by the state in the '70s has made the Blanco River strain extinct, and replaced them with hybrids in most of their Texas hill country range.  These are the only bass species that can retreat into the aquifer to survive our droughts.  The state's approach is to stock them heavily in their native headwaters.  Otherwise, the State Fish is in reality an endangered species from biological pollution.  

And just 7 years ago, the state stocked white bass far above their native range, where they can get to one of the A-strains of endemic bass.  I've seen white bass climbing waterfalls just like salmon during spawning runs.  

 

 

I caught this hen at a bat cave vent, where the aquifer takes water from the river - she got to this size eating the baby bats that fell in.  

 

The San Antonio River from its source in San Pedro springs down to the confluence with the Guadalupe and on to Aransas NWR is inundated with tilapia and plecostamus stocked in the San Antonio Zoo during the 1920s Egypt and King Tut craze.  

McKittrick Canyon in Guadalupe Mountains NP was the last refuge of native Rio Grande Cutthroat trout in Texas.  Also in the '20s, a surplus load of rainbows was dumped there, and now all the wild trout are rainbows.  

Our rivers should not be anyone's biological playground.  Not even Parks & Wildlife.  

[TnRiver46]

55 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

Biological pollution remains a reality.  

In the Texas hill country, only two A-strains of endemic Guadalupe bass remain in the wild, isolated by aquifer recharge (the creek disappearing into the ground), and a waterfall.  Smallmouth stocking by the state in the '70s has made the Blanco River strain extinct, and replaced them with hybrids in most of their Texas hill country range.  These are the only bass species that can retreat into the aquifer to survive our droughts.  The state's approach is to stock them heavily in their native headwaters.  Otherwise, the State Fish is in reality an endangered species from biological pollution.  

And just 7 years ago, the state stocked white bass far above their native range, where they can get to one of the A-strains of endemic bass.  I've seen white bass climbing waterfalls just like salmon during spawning runs.  

 

 

I caught this hen at a bat cave vent, where the aquifer takes water from the river - she got to this size eating the baby bats that fell in.  

 

The San Antonio River from its source in San Pedro springs down to the confluence with the Guadalupe and on to Aransas NWR is inundated with tilapia and plecostamus stocked in the San Antonio Zoo during the 1920s Egypt and King Tut craze.  

McKittrick Canyon in Guadalupe Mountains NP was the last refuge of native Rio Grande Cutthroat trout in Texas.  Also in the '20s, a surplus load of rainbows was dumped there, and now all the wild trout are rainbows.  

Our rivers should not be anyone's biological playground.  Not even Parks & Wildlife.  

That some wild stuff. We have several places where water goes underground for a ways, but not many people explore them. The “Lost Sea” is about the extent of my exploring and it’s a tourist attraction haha

[bulldog1935]

From Verde Creek west to the Nueces, every river and creek disappears into the aquifer just north of US-90, and re-emerges below in the coastal plain.  

This is the final blue hole where the Sabinal emerges from the aquifer a quarter-mile above its confluence with the Frio - there are 7 bass sitting on the shelf at the far bank.  

 

One day, with two friends, we hiked and fished the Frio Sendero - 4 miles of isolated cold pools that you bust the dry gravel river bed to get to.  This is also 20 miles from any paved road, and all private access.  

Between us, we caught 400 bass, and each broke off two to three lifetime bass, 10-12 lbs.  

 

 

[soflabasser]

I have read about what has happened to the Guadalupe bass with invasive black bass. A large amount of Guadalupe bass have hybridized with other black bass. You can still catch pure Guadalupe bass if you look for them. South Florida only has one black bass species which is the Florida largemouth bass. Fortunately it is way too hot down here for other black bass species to thrive so all the bass I catch in South Florida are 100% Florida largemouth bass. If you travel to Northern Florida you can also catch other black bass species such as the Suwannee bass which is by far one of the most beautiful black bass species. 

[bulldog1935]

@soflabasser stocked non-native smallmouth - the genetic dilution that's wiping out Texas endemic bass.    (same story as non-native rainbows stocked in the Rocky Mountains)

 

Texas endemic spotted bass co-exist with native northern largemouth. - they occupy different niches in the river, fast and slow.    

However, on the San Gabriel, they are hybridized with stocked Kentucky spotted bass.  

 

native northern largemouth

 

Guadalalupe tailwater smallie, originating from '70s Canyon Lake stocking

(I was targeting and geared for stripers this day)

 

here's a Guadalupe-smallie hybrid at Mueller falls above Canyon Lake - you can see the copper sheen.  The endemic bass have a blue sheen.  

[Further North]

2 hours ago, soflabasser said:

I would not eat a python or any other large exotic animal since they are full of methylmercury and other nasty chemicals.

...it was just a joke...

 

[soflabasser]

9 minutes ago, Further North said:

...it was just a joke...

 

Some people will eat anything they are told is ''invasive'' without researching how much contaminants these animals can contain. To them it is not a joke they really think they can get rid of all the exotics if they eat enough of them. Too bad it won't make much of a difference in the long run. The weather has gotten warmer compared to a decade ago and this warm weather is great for many exotic animals. A strong cold front will help lower the population but not enough. Exotics are here to stay just like common carp. From the looks of it goldfish will continue spreading to new locations as well.

[bulldog1935]

after half a day on the smoker, it's all good

 

This happens to be venison flanks and backstrap, but I've eaten javelina from the smoker that will make your drool.  

 

[roadwarrior]

I have never known ANYONE that likes  javelina

[Bluegillslayer]

On 7/13/2021 at 9:41 AM, PressuredFishing said:

The peacocks are going to kill me eventually......

Near my lake their as a site where the county keeps construction materials and peacocks run rampant, you can hear their calls while fishing lol.

[PressuredFishing]

On 7/13/2021 at 9:23 PM, bulldog1935 said:

after half a day on the smoker, it's all good

 

This happens to be venison flanks and backstrap, but I've eaten javelina from the smoker that will make your drool.  

 

that looks delish, absolutley delish!