Hi guys,

Since it is nearly impossible to import LMB or BG to my country, Turkey, i am planning to visit the USA in June 2015. But by that time, fries must be no more than 1 inchers, to take them back home safely.

I doubt that i will find 1 inchers by that time but i am not sure if 2 inchers can survive a 15 hours travel, in my luggage. What do you think?

Thanks.

By the way i might pay some cash for someone who is planning a travel to Turkey and can bring just a couple fishes for me.

Don't think it's legal or you could get away with it without the proper papers.

Considering how closely the TSA checks and scans passengers I don't see how they'd miss water and fish. LOL

The transport of animals internationally is taken very seriously and a violation could be as serious as transporting drug contraband.

I feel for you that you are frustrated you can't get the fish.

What are the obstacles you are facing?

Is it your country that won't allow them in?

Or is it here in the US they can't be exported from? Or both?

Or is it all the red tape?

Or you can't find a source here that is interested in dealing with the logistics?

The transport of fry for 15 hrs. is certainly possible with the use of oxygen, ammonia neutralizer and an anesthetic. Fish are transported much longer all the time from Southeast Asia and South America to the U.S.

Sounds like you need to find the right party that has experience in this as long as it's legal. Be prepared to pay though.

Thanks Cecil. Believe me i am not trying to do something illegal. No country i believe has a law that restricts fishes being taken away. And the same for the USA.

Turkey will let you bring 10 fishes in your luggage. That's all. And no paper work is required.

The reason why i can't make that happen with regular importing procedures is that it is impossible to find someone here to prepare all the paper work to export from the USA. And even if the paper work is done, they can't make sure the fishes are shipped safely from the USA. And just 1 import session from the USA will cost thousands of dollars. That's not what stops me though.

So bringing them my own is the only option left for me. 10 fishes is a pretty low number but i guess i will be fine.

Please tell me Cecil: In a world , where importing and exporting snakeheads is legal, how can taking LMB's to a country be illegal? Trust me it is not... Not for Turkey at least.


I need some info on LMB and BG spawning times of the year. When do they spawn in hatcheries and what size will they get till June?

Just a thought.

If it is legal for you to import them into your country................

People travel with pets. Dogs, etc. Have a fish farm double bag them up, put the bag in a pet cage, and check them onto the plane as a pet. They would go through customs as a pet.

Would it work? I don't have a clue. It is just an idea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-UE8l4PKDU

North Shore Fish Farms
3089 Seacliff Dr, Kingsville, On
Phone: (519) 733-4800
Species: Largemouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Black Crappie, Walleye, Bluegill, Sunfish

Give Frank a call. He can ship them to you from Canada.

Cheers Don.

you would have to put them in the checked bags. Only allowed to have small volumn of liguid as carry on. I have packed someting similar in my checked baggage with no issues several times before. I am not sure about customs on the way out. I am not even sure they are worried about what leaves as long as its not drugs. Countries seem to be more worried about what comes in.

They might not even know what kind of fish they are, if that matters.

If they will let you bring in 10 fish, it should work as long as customs lets you leave with them. Keep your receipt from the fish farm just in case. But most likley they will not know any thing differant then they are little fish.

Customs officers are not DNR or Fish and Wild life officers.

Snrub, Dono and Bobby, i thank you all.

Snrub, i don't think they will buy that .

Dono, even if your friend is willing to send them to Turkey he needs to get a lot of paperwork done. Does he have any export experience? Thanks for the info.

Bobby i don't plan to take them as carry on. I will have them in my luggage. This way , there will be no liquid volume limit and fishes will attract much less attention of customs officers. I know that what i am doing is still too risky. Because there are no certain regulations for fish transportation and anytime you might be stopped by a customs officer. I will try my best.


Guys we are in the only Pond forum of the USA and no one can give me any info on hatchery fish sizes on June? :))

You should be able to find some 1-2 inchers that time of year. Depends on where you will be leaving from. You'll have a better chance of finding some small ones the further north you go.

Before 9/11 I once flew from Florida back to Virginia with fish I had collected down there in a Tubberware container. Not gonna happen today!

Hmm... Turkish customs officers must be fun to deal with.

Chris Scott wants me to get Camelot Bell and Coppernose from either Texas or Florida . I guess that's a bad news.

Turkish prisons are infamous!

I tell you that Cecil, Turkish prisons are much safer for your ass than American prisons.

The fact that people here are homophobic is not something i am proud of but definitely good for prisoners.

Yeah prisons are big business here. We have a higher percentage of our population in prison than any other country in the world.

I guess I've seen too many movies about Turkey Fatih.

Just a thought. When I lived in Singapore, North American fish were considered novelties and available in pet shops. Have you checked? Another thought is to export them as pets. I brought two cats back from Singapore that I got there and it was easy.

Good luck!

Just a thought, your luggage could be in an unpressurised part of the plane. I remember the airlines deflating my son's soccer ball before they would stow it in the luggage compartment. The container your fish are in could just expand and rupture. Not to mention it is cold in there.

I re-read my post and realized I might have not been very clear. By unpressurized cabin, I mean one that is pressurized at an altitude higher than where your bag of fish were packed. As example, the bag for your fish may be packed at 2500 feet above sea level and sealed to maintain the O2 blanket. As an aircraft climbs, the cabin is pressurized to between 7000 and 8000 feet. The difference in pressure between 2500 feet and 8000 feet will cause the bag to expand and possibly rupture.

Good thinking Bill. That will be a problem.

Cecil , how come have you seen some movies about Turkey? I didn't think Americans were interested in us at all .

Bill, that's definitely something to consider. I have never heard anything like that before. I guess i have to dig deeper in this issue. You say that even a ball cannot resist such a pressure difference. How can i deal with that? Any ideas?

It's not as scarey as it sounds. For those that fly much, most all of us have had a bottle of something leak in our luggage. The pressure differences the bottle sees is why. The less volume of air in a container the less pronounced the affect will be, so travel with full bottles of stuff and, just in case, stick them in a ziplock bag to protect the undies! If I was going to fly with fish, I would put them in a rigid container to prevent volume change with pressure. The pressure in the sealed container will remain at whatever pressure was present when the container was sealed. You might have a little trouble getting the lid off at your destination if it is a significantly different altitude than where the fish were packed though!

Bill, i noticed i haven't replied. Sorry about that. I see what you mean. I guess i will give fishes to the pet compartment of the airplane. But otherwise, i will do what you said.

Thanks.

Faith, at this time of year Americans become VERY interested in Turkey. Also stuffing, gravy, cranberries, etc. etc.

Bob, it is good to know that you got interested in Turkey for something not related to military stuff .

We have a great kitchen. Might be the best out there(this is what we think ) . But i didn't know there was a trend about Turkey among you Americans.

I am very fond of America. I am in love with your country. Today i paid 3 dollars for a can of Mountain Dew in Turkey . Just wanted to taste some America. Gonna be visiting in coming May and can't wait for it.

Anybody on this forum can be my guest , if they visit Turkey. Just let me know, a month in advance.

If you make it to north florida you are welcome to visit and check out my pond stuff. No charge for the mountain dew.

I definitely want to visit Florida this time. I guess there is great fishing over there. Both freshwater and saltwater fishing.

If i pass near your place, i will definitely stop by. Thanks for the kind offer .

somtimes even in the same pond :-)

Really? How does that happen?

That happens because Bobby Rice catches salt water fish and acclimates them to fresh water. I'm not sure about his new location but his other pond may been the most interesting pond ever.
If you venture near NE Indiana you're welcome to stay at my place and we could visit Cecil and Bill Cody. That would be an interesting American experience.
You're not real far off on your "desert with villains everywhere.

Bob

Hey we TEXANS resemble that remark!

Pat W

Dang guys! How to refuse all the offers you've been making here? Meet Cecil and Bill Cody and stay at your place? Fishing saltwater species in a fresh pond? Verrrry tempting :)) .

However i have only like 20 days and have to visit 3 states and Indiana is just in the opposite way of my route. I already started to find a way to extend my vacation though. I will make it to Indiana if i can extend it. Another person i want to visit in Indiana is Scott . Gotta see him. Is your place near Scott's ?

Indiana is usually in everybody's opposite route!! Scott is about an hr and half from Cecil IIRC and there isn't road construction.
Pat, nothing personal, just that most "Yankees" are jealous of you Texans warmer weather. Heck even Ted Nugent moved from Mich to Tx
Like you guys, we Hoosiers are waiting for global warming to finally make it nice yr round. Tho I know you all want it to happen just so Alaska will thaw thus makin Tx the biggest state again.

Not all of us Yankees are jealous, Bob! Some of us think it's pretty nice year-round now!

Plug, I know that and the changing seasons are great. I used ta love sittin in a stand when it froze the hairs in yer nose. Ice fishin when the hole would skim over every 5 mins. Shroom huntin in the "warm" spring sunshine and oogling the fantastic leaf colors of bow season. Thing is some of are just born wimps and as age creeps up on us at thousands of mph. we get wimpier. I admire and envy all of you folks that seem to get tougher with with age. You, Catmando, John Monroe(in his 70s and able to haul a wooden Kayak around), Old, old Bill Cody(insert smiley face), Snrub, RAH, Dwight, Stick DD1, and soooo many more aging proudly and still bravin the elements. My hat is off to all of you. Hope all on here remember it's my nature to be a smart Arse and hope I never offend anyone. Cecil and Cody know me pretty well and have defended me often in the past. Hope ya all bear with my weird sense of humor. I believe even the good Dr Condellow has even grown immune to my insults. I admire and respect most everyone on this site even tho humor is quite often lost on paper or the screen.

What does that mean Bob? Sorry. Me no speake Englishe.

Bob, I about fell out of my easy chair when you included me in the group that braves the elements. The only ice I like to brave is the ice in my drink.

Heck no I'm not offended Bob....always enjoy reading your posts! And I seriously doubt that "wimp" is an accurate self-portrayal.

Thanks Sparky. Snrub, not just about bravin the elements, it's the attitude that is important.

Oh yes, since it's your thread Faith and you no speaka da English, just consider an arse as the south end of a camel going north.

I laughed so hard Bob . Thanks for the explanation.

Or in other words:
http://www.yourdictionary.com/smart-azz
noun
1.The definition of a smart azz is a person who makes comments he thinks are clever or funny but which are usually unwanted or undesired by others.
An example of a smart azz is someone who always has to make sarcastic comments in answer to simple questions.

Scott, OOOOuch!!! I like my definition better all tho yours may be more accurate.

Accuracy is the name of the game.

One of my favorite sayings goes something like this...Accuracy is the second bullet going through the first bullets hole.
I was never a great shot but have a 22 that I bought in 67. I replaced the 4x with a 3x9 and can shoot that old thing fairly well. Guess we just kinda got ta like each other. Had a two door 57 Chevy wagon like that till I got EXTRA stupid one night.

Bob:

Does this count? Not quite completely thru the 2nd hole but relatively close. The bullets might have been much closer together if the target had been closer to the gun. With this particular group, the muzzle of the gun was 900 feet from the target. If it matters, the bullet is 7mm in diameter.

Esshup

Fantastic grouping for 300 yards!

Pat W

Pat,
Are you sitting this morning? Stick a big'un....

Good morning, Camelot Bell Super Fry from Super Lunkers will be available for sale in June. They can only be found at Camelot Bell Ranch in Coolidge. My husband would be delighted to give you all the details if you give him a call. His name if Mike Frazier & his number is 254-747-1034. Anyone else may as well.

Scott, I'd figured that you were probably very tuned in. That is scary at that distance. Remind me not ta insult ya within a thousand.

Welcome to the site bfrazier. Ya kinda caught me off guard with a sensible post. Nice of you to submit the info for Faith but since he is in Turkey a call might not be real economical so maybe you could coax hubby into posting more detailed info on here. Better yet ya could pm Turkey boy(?) Faith.

Hi Bob, you don't get many new people? What kind of more detailed info are you looking for? Apparently, Chris Scott is acquainted with us or he wouldn't have told the gentleman in Turkey that our fish are what he should be looking for. We are the original & only Camelot Bell Ranch. We are NOT affiliated with any one else claiming to have Camelot Bell fish. We would be happy to give you or him all the information you'd need if you'd tell me what you need to know!

Excuse my ignorance, for all I know Camalot Bell super fry could have been some fancy Pheasant eggs served up to King Arthur as he rang his servants bell. It was nice of you to provide that info for Faith but I was just trying to get at what exactly those were. After reading your last post I searched your site and must say am most impressed and would think that if Faith can figure a way to get some of those back to Turkey he certainly should.

oh sorry, didn't know you didn't know. Glad you looked at the website though. My husband built our lake from scratch 15 years ago & hand-fed the baby fish we had in there. Now, 15 years later, he helps lots of people fulfill bucket-wish lists all the time! He conducts fishing trips too, I guess I should've said.

Bfrazier can you please answer the question which is the thread of this discussion?

Yes, in June the fingerlings will be 2-3 inches & they will be Camelot Bell Black Bass aka, large mouth bass

Thanks bfrazier. Do some of your fishes spawn later than others or do they all spawn at the same time? I mean , can we find some smaller 1 inchers which were born afterwards?

Btw , when do fries come out? In April?