I am @ The Whiteriver in northern Ark and have been her for the past week and will be here for another week. Enjoying the trout fishing. I make this trip 3 or 4 times a yr. I believe it is the rated as the number one trout river in the US. Fishing is always good here. So I was wondering if I still had a little outlaw in me?? In my younger years, I was a little on the wild side, but never did anything that would harm anyone. So was thinking about transporting some trout and some SMB back to the lmb pond. Will be traveling through Ark and Texas to get there. I am not talking about a lot of fish, just maybe 10 of each in a couple of good sized coolers and an aerator. Or maybe just smb, I would really like to have a few 10" ers in the pond. I know I should not announce this here but just wondering how much outlaw is still in me ? Hehe


Tracy
Tracy

Tracy,
...if that's what you want to do, you can keep them alive, and are not concerned about transporting some unknown ill effects (disease) to your BOW...more power to ya! I was unaware of an issue transporting the fish across state lines...but, then again, there's a lot I don't know...Good Luck!
Charlie

Go for it TRACY!

I am a wuss here guys, and have decided against transporting the fish. As much as I want a few SMB in the pond, I no longer have much outlaw in me haha I was thinking of what it might cost me in financial cost if caught transporting these smb. I could probably build a new pond for what I might spend on a lawyer. I am a wuss

Tracy

You're not a wuss, just reasoning correctly. For what getting caught would cost ya could probably get Rex ta overnight ya some. On the other hand ya could always get in touch with Bongo and conspire ta smuggle some Musky.

TGW1,

Have you actually asked about the legality? You might be pleasantly surprised to find it's O.K. as long as you caught the fish with a valid fishing license and didn't exceed the bag limit.

That's the way it is inside the state lines of my state. Unfortunately for us state lines became an issue when VHS became an issue, which is true now for all Great Lakes States.

Cecil, Texas passed a law that went into effect last June, where you can not transport any water from one lake to another lake. You are required to empty your live well at the boat ramp. As I understand the law, transporting any fish, including minnows from one public body of water to another public body of water is illegal. And I am fishing with a guide today here on Bull shoals lake. Will be fishing for SMB. Catching a SMB over 3 lbs is a blast. They never give it up. I would really like to have a few in the pond. I understand they might not do well with the lmb, but would like to see anyway. One of my concerns with transplanting smb from Bull Shoals to my pond is the water clarity differences. Bull Shoals has about 6 to 10 foot of visibility and my pond is 18" of green water. I am not sure the SMB could find food in the pond even though the pond is heave stocked with all types of forage, including craws. How do u guys feel about the fish surviving in this situation?

Tracy

Transporting an established adult fish from one BOW to another is hard on the fish. They are used to finding food in certain areas, and sometimes they don't re-learn where to find food in the new (to them) BOW. Especially going from clear to dingy water.

Now, if a young SMB were to grow up in water like that, they would adapt. (I believe)

Tracy, my pond is completely good ol brown IN clay and I live east of a gravel rd that has several hundred cars travel it daily. Lots of limestone dust in the air and water. My visibility is at best 12-16"s. Two springs ago Cecil delivered me 8 really nice SMB from his pristine water systems. They have done very well and pulled a spawn last spring. I have no LMB but have HSB, WE, CC and YP so we will have ta see if they can sustain a pop or not. If ya can get some legally, go for it. If they get gobbled up they do. I used ta cringe at the thought of spendin a hundred bucks on something that might be a snack. One day I figured if I had saved all the money I'd spent on cigs, booze, drugs and wild women, I could probably stock half the ponds in IN. Priorities!/? Besides when I'm dead all my grandkids will be fightin ta divide my $1422.19 estate.

Tracy, Chris Steelman has (or had) SMB in his pond. PM him to see where he sourced them. Or maybe he'll see this and chime in.

Bob, has cutting out the drugs improved your financial state any?

If you really want SMB that 'thrive' grow & reproduce in your pond renovate the pond or build a small pond for then. We have SMB locally in 0.2 ac ponds. Steelman's pond with smallies is not a large pond. "Truth be known" HSB would do better in your existing pond with the LMB, plus the HSB fight harder and longer than smallies. As a negative HSB don't jump to produce thrilling aerial acrobatics.

Tracy, I wish I'd known you were on the White! I was in McRae Arkansas clearing a muddy pond all weekend...only about 45 miles from you at one point. I used to fish the White several times a year myself. I liked staying at Sportsman's Resort in Flippin. It is hard to beat the fishing there!!!

Sparky, my mind is just the tiniest bit fuzzy from decades of indulgence (if ya ahve'nt noticed in my posts) but it seems the women were more of a drain on the $s than the grugs (not misspelled, misconstrued). I am however glad I no longer waste my $ on such worthless things and yes, I now have a net worth of $1422.19. Oops, $1421.13 I bought a Cappuccino refill this AM.

I just learned something, did a search on the White River in Arkansas, what a fishery! Thanks for posting this.

Understood Tracy and many times there are good reasons on why something is against the law. Sometimes there are not.

I do take issue with Texas's "protected fin fish laws" which require me to purchase an expensive permit and the customer -- for certain frozen dead species of gamefish from my established licensed fish farm.

And there there's Alabama, South Carolina, and Louisiana that will not allow the sale of gamefish except for stocking purposes. I'm shut out of those states to sell frozen gamefish to taxidermists down there.

Tracy, I used to SMB fish in Lake Erie before the zebra mussels cleared the water. Incredible SMB fishery despite water clarity 12 to 18 inches. No guarantee, but they certainly didn't have any trouble finding food in Erie!

Well, we had a pretty good day fishing for the smb on Bull shoals. Caught several small one's in the 10" size, it was tempting about keeping some for restocking in the pond. the largest was around 2.5 lbs. Not my best day of fishing on this lake but I was a really nice afternoon. Frank, my concern was the smb not being able to adapt to the fertilized green water in the pond, from the 10" of visibility of the lake. And Bill Cody, maybe the smallies is what I need to put in my new to be 1/3 acre forage pond Rainman, I started to announce sooner here of my being @ the White River. Today is my last day here, will be floating the White today looking for a good Brownie And Yes timshufflin, you need to make it to the white River, been coming here for 35 yrs, it's agood time to be here now for the fishing and the leaves changing colors

Tracy