Here is a constructive comment on the previus 3 comments.
Number one I don't think a turtle walking between ponds has a better chance of transporting eggs than a bird does. I a duck that lands in fertilized eggs could easily get a couple under it's feathers and get to a pond in 2 minutes that would take a turtle hours to travel. This gives the bird the big advantage on avoiding the drying out of the eggs.
Number 2, The stocking of the pond is absolutely your best defense against this whole nightmare. If I had not lost all my Bass to the previous winter, the few bullheads that were introduced would have simply been eaten. We first saw the bullhead babies the first spring when the dead bass appeared. I am sure there was a very low bullhead population until then. The Bass would have kept them down so well I would have never known they were there. The Bullhead fishing so far this summer has produced 339 of which 2 were adults. No babies have been seen this year and I caught the 2 big ones before spawning time. I also stocked 40 8-9" bass early this spring.
Number 3, I am sure the fish stockers do screw up from time to time. Everyone does. They probably can get away with it a little because anyone who stocks minnows probably stocks predators also so it doesn't get out of hand in these ponds. However the stocking truck story doesn't explain how the rough fish get into the remote farm ponds.
Brian
