I hate to be an alarmist, but I guess I've gotten to the point where I don't want to put anything in my ponds that I'm not at least 99% certain is disease free and exotic free. I just don't trust our local public waters anymore. Over the last 60 years, I've watched way too many favorite fishing holes, and major fisheries, ruined by disease and the introduction of exotic or unwanted species.
This is a recent horrible example from my old stomping grounds, where all the right rules were in place, but things still went wrong:
DNR oversight allows fish virus to enter state Here in the tri-state area of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, there are just too many unknowns to take a chance with stock from our public waterways. Our male bass have ovaries. We've got more and more exotic species every year. Every few months we seem to learn about some new disease.
Nothing goes in anymore that doesn't come from a trusted source, and even then, I'm wary. I've got a grow out pond above my main pond, but this year I plan to dig one below my main pond, just in case . . . I don't want anything draining in.
