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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 9
Fingerling
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Fingerling
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 9 |
I have a 12 acre lake and would like to remove my Sterile Carp. They have worn out their welcome and are now starting to eat my shoreline vegetation. Does anyone have any effective methods for doing this? A friend of mine would love to have them since he has a hydrilla problem in his lake but they only way I can catch them is with a .22 cal fishing lure.
Thanks.
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Joined: Jan 2009
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent  Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,512 Likes: 831 |
davebic, Welcome to PB!
There are a few ways to catch them. If you can show up at the pond at the same time every day and throw out pelleted food, they might start eating that, then it's an easy catch by using Stubby Steve's Pellet bait, or a clump of pellets tied with pantyhose and threaded on a hook.
I used to catch common carp by chumming the water with a can of whole kernel corn, then fishing in that area with corn threaded on a hook.
The other way to catch them (and it's safer than shooting into the water with a .22) is bowfishing.
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Joined: Jan 2009
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Ambassador
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Ambassador
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How big are the carp now? As they get bigger they are less effective vegetation movers and although free to your friend, may not do as good a job as 10-12" new stockers would.
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 135
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 135 |
Good luck...I have been on the same mission all last season and again now. My success with a 22 is marginal. I think when they are in water at all deep..like 2 foot down, the bullet deforms so you are at the mercy of the bullets path and I have never mastered hitting them when they are sunning perpendicular to me(broadside). I have hit 5 all moving directly toward me aiming at or in front of their nose.
They are so spooky. Sneaking up on a turkey would be as hard...walk softly.
I have just bought a bowfishing rig and will be using it soon. Midday seems best time to see them in shallows sunning in my pond. Ill get after them after spray season and after the gnats go away.
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 914
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Jan 2010
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I'd seine or trot line. Get a nice long trot and put multiple offerings on it. See what they go for, and what they don't. They are not like common carp, they eat different stuff. You need to find out preferences, then chum that in places you see them. I guess for free your friend might want them. But the bigger they are, the less value they have as far as vegetative control. Too large of pond for snagging. And shooting at water is dangerous to say the least.
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,795 Likes: 68
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
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Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,795 Likes: 68 |
Davebic - Another warm welcome to the forum!
I want to commend you on your first post - it's a great topic and one the forum needs to discuss. I was just about to post this question myself as I'm considering STOCKING GC for the first time and want to remove them in about 5 years before they become ultra large, less efficient at veg control, become pellet hogs and muddy the pond. I hope experienced guys keep offering their ideas as we all need to have a firm grasp on how to remove them eventually.
When time allows, open another post and tell us more about your pond, your goals, and how you found us!
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau ![[Linked Image from i1261.photobucket.com]](http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii582/teehjaeh57/I_subscribe_zps69249d43.gif)
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 181
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 181 |
I have waged war against my grass carp for 4-5 years. While it is true that GC can be caught on Aquamax or corn, the problem is that both bluegills and channel catfish also eat this stuff and are much more numerous than the GC. So basically you just sift through dozens of BG and CC hoping to hit a GC. I have connected 3 or 4 times doing this and it is a blast, of course, since my GC run from 25-33lbs. Nevertheless it is not a realistic way to reduce their numbers. I also bowfish for them. If you shoot one while it is eating food pellets, the commotion upsets everything in the vicinity and the GC won't come to feed for a couple of weeks or so. Thus the efficiency of this approach is limited by the spookiness of the GC. I have had the most luck watching the edges of my pond for ripples at the very edge where a GC is rooting the vegetation. I live 75 feet up the bank from my 3 acre pond so I can keep a close eye on it. I sneak down to the bank and shoot the GC with my bow. These are isolated fish almost always. They work their way along the shore line in one direction and you can station yourself slightly ahead of them which helps to keep from spooking them. GC are the wariest and most easily startled fish I have ever stalked. They put bonefish to shame. I don't see how they ever get any shallow water feeding done-they react to tiny birds flying over them and often for no apparent reason.
I have not tried shooting them with gun of any kind because I was afraid I would not know if I had been successful. A question for those who have used .22's or such-can you tell when you have killed one or do you just assume you connected?
Layton Runkle
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 181
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 181 |
I have waged war against my grass carp for 4-5 years. While it is true that GC can be caught on Aquamax or corn, the problem is that both bluegills and channel catfish also eat this stuff and are much more numerous than the GC. So basically you just sift through dozens of BG and CC hoping to hit a GC. I have connected 3 or 4 times doing this and it is a blast, of course, since my GC run from 25-33lbs. Nevertheless it is not a realistic way to reduce their numbers. I also bowfish for them. If you shoot one while it is eating food pellets, the commotion upsets everything in the vicinity and the GC won't come to feed for a couple of weeks or so. Thus the efficiency of this approach is limited by the spookiness of the GC. I have had the most luck watching the edges of my pond for ripples at the very edge where a GC is rooting the vegetation. I live 75 feet up the bank from my 3 acre pond so I can keep a close eye on it. I sneak down to the bank and shoot the GC with my bow. These are isolated fish almost always. They work their way along the shore line in one direction and you can station yourself slightly ahead of them which helps to keep from spooking them. GC are the wariest and most easily startled fish I have ever stalked. They put bonefish to shame. I don't see how they ever get any shallow water feeding done-they react to tiny birds flying over them and often for no apparent reason.
I have not tried shooting them with a gun of any kind because I was afraid I would not know if I had been successful. A question for those who have used .22's or such-can you tell when you have killed one or do you just assume you connected?
Layton Runkle
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,722 Likes: 282
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,722 Likes: 282 |
I don't think that .22s penetrate the water with any energy.
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 147
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 147 |
Hey guys, First post here. A buddy of mine fished 90% of his grass carp out last year with catalpa worms. They worked great, and he gave them all to me. They were difficult to clean, bony, but they were excellent tasting.
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,722 Likes: 282
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,722 Likes: 282 |
floating mulberries work on regular carp
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,505 Likes: 3
Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,505 Likes: 3 |
Welcome, brier! Glad you found the forum and joined in! Do you have a pond yourself, or are you just a pond nut/future owner?  If you have a pond, please tell us about your setup, what your goals are for the pond, and what your management strategies are. Great to have you on board with us - please stay involved and get to know the crowd!
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,795 Likes: 68
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
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Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,795 Likes: 68 |
LR great post. We need this kind of information on GC management. Ideally it sounds as if a guy wants to keep them in for 5-6 years then remove/extirpate as that's when they become less efficient/lazy/gigantic. I want my pondweed controlled, and don't want to use chemicals, but don't want a turbid pond devoid of vegetation altogether. Tilapia is probably the best bet for me, but that's an annual cost for me probably around $500 where GC is a $100 investment good for 5+ years. $2,500 vs $100 and a good crossbow. Hmmmmm
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 5,712 Likes: 3
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 5,712 Likes: 3 |
First, welcome to Pond Boss. I fully agree with the advice of our good friend ESSHUP. If you are feeding with pellets, I've found that grass carp are then real suckers for bread balls. I've caught them by pulling the crust off a piece of yucky white bread (like Wonder Bread), and forming the remainder around a medium size hook (1/0). Tossing such a big ball in at feeding time sure seems to make them vulnerable.  I'm currently out of grass carp in my pond, and it is time to bring in replacements.
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 20,043 Likes: 1
Hall of Fame Lunker
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Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 20,043 Likes: 1 |
Just a thought but has anyone tried to use a large mesh gillnet to selectively remove these large fish? I know it's done to selectively remove paddlefish for harvest.
I seem to remember when working as a biologist aid, the next largest fish are largemouths and they seemed to avoid gillnets. Not 100 percent but pretty close to it.
This may also work to remove those large channel cats that get hard to catch.
Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 06/08/10 10:02 PM.
If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,795 Likes: 68
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
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Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,795 Likes: 68 |
Ken Talk to us about their ability to control vegetation as they aged. Did they become less efficient? Did turbidity become an issue? What number did you stock, how large is your pond, and what types of vegetation were present? Would you recommend this method as an economical, organic solution for vegetation control? Jeesh - guess this is the Hudson Inquisition...  Oh yeah...and what's your favorite color?
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 135
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 135 |
The 5 I know I hit were stone dead. They just go stiff and roll onto one side. I know I hit a couple because you see scales in the water. So I have confirmed kills on 5 and a few near misses. And many clips of 22 rounds that hit nothing.
Good to know someone else uses the sit on porch till shoreline ripples appear method.And you cannot be quiet enough walking or they are gone gone gone.
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 5,712 Likes: 3
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 5,712 Likes: 3 |
Ken Talk to us about their ability to control vegetation as they aged. Did they become less efficient? Did turbidity become an issue? What number did you stock, how large is your pond, and what types of vegetation were present? Would you recommend this method as an economical, organic solution for vegetation control? Jeesh - guess this is the Hudson Inquisition... Oh yeah...and what's your favorite color? Five years ago there were four in the approximate 0.7 acre pond. I've taken three out by hook and line. One disappeared over the winter. That may be why some of my catfish grew so much over the winter. All the GC were about 3-feet long. The pond has always been completely free of weeds, and remains completely free of weeds. That is why I've dropped so many tree tops into the pond. The only real growth in the pond was a clump of cattails that I took out with my backhoe a few years ago. Is it because of the grass carp? I don't know. I still have one large koi. I want to get new ones in. I'll probably just put in two. If nothing else, they are just fun to have in the pond. As big as they are, they look like torpedoes. Very exciting to visitors. Sometimes they will jump and make a very impressive splash. The only downside I saw was that they can consume a lot of pellets with their vacuum cleaner mouths. I've seen very little turbidity, except for certain short periods. I'm thinking it was probably from the catfish trying to spawn. As I mention in another thread, my efforts to cut debris and silt inflow, causes my water remains scary clear. I'm thinking I may have to start fertilizing this year.
Last edited by catmandoo; 06/09/10 06:27 AM. Reason: Added note about turbidity
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 20,043 Likes: 1
Hall of Fame Lunker
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Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Aug 2002
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How do you know we can't read Norwegian Ande? 
If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 414
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 414 |
A wild gues that the majority can,t, but some off you can and google translate, can help a bit.
He could invite moses and just pick them
Last edited by andedammen; 06/09/10 01:10 PM.
PAUL 
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,795 Likes: 68
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
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Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,795 Likes: 68 |
[quote=teehjaeh57]Ken Talk to us about their ability to control vegetation as they aged. Did they become less efficient? Did turbidity become an issue? What number did you stock, how large is your pond, and what types of vegetation were present? Would you recommend this method as an economical, organic solution for vegetation control? Jeesh - guess this is the Hudson Inquisition... Oh yeah...and what's your favorite color? [/quote I'll talk! I'll talk! Just please turn off the bright lights and stop the water dripping on my head!Five years ago there were four in the approximate 0.7 acre pond. I've taken three out by hook and line. One disappeared over the winter. That may be why some of my catfish grew so much over the winter. All the GC were about 3-feet long. The pond has always been completely free of weeds, and remains completely free of weeds. That is why I've dropped so many tree tops into the pond. The only real growth in the pond was a clump of cattails that I took out with my backhoe a few years ago. Is it because of the grass carp? I don't know. I still have one large koi. I want to get new ones in. I'll probably just put in two. If nothing else, they are just fun to have in the pond. As big as they are, they look like torpedoes. Very exciting to visitors. Sometimes they will jump and make a very impressive splash. The only downside I saw was that they can consume a lot of pellets with their vacuum cleaner mouths. I've seen very little turbidity, except for certain short periods. I'm thinking it was probably from the catfish trying to spawn. As I mention in another thread, my efforts to cut debris and silt inflow, causes my water remains scary clear. I'm thinking I may have to start fertilizing this year. Great info here Ken, useful to us all! Actually, it's music to my ears as it settles a few questions I had regarding stocking qty and what water turbidity issues. 1. What kind of vegetation was present they controlled? 2. What is your favorite color?
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 147
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 147 |
Welcome, brier! Glad you found the forum and joined in! Do you have a pond yourself, or are you just a pond nut/future owner? If you have a pond, please tell us about your setup, what your goals are for the pond, and what your management strategies are. Great to have you on board with us - please stay involved and get to know the crowd! Thanks, and I would like to reply, and introduce myself, but I don't see an introduction sub forum, and don't want to hijack a thread, where would you suggest I do this?
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,512 Likes: 831
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,512 Likes: 831 |
Thanks, and I would like to reply, and introduce myself, but I don't see an introduction sub forum, and don't want to hijack a thread, where would you suggest I do this?
Start a thread of your own in the Pond Boss forum if you want. TJ, you listening?? 
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,795 Likes: 68
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
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Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,795 Likes: 68 |
Brier...you have just been awarded five merits for a brilliant idea. I love a pondmeister introduction topic for the forum. Allow me to escalate...thank you buddy, and welcome to the forum!
In the interim feel free to post your questions under any room that seems appropriate.
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
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