Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Koi, How the heck...

Hey so we've got a great population of brown trout in our small pond (50ftx100ft) that seem happy and healthy. There are more minnows and shiners than I've ever seen in a small pond that size and the trout are getting bigger every week!

All of the sudden today we saw a big fat koi sitting in our pond. There is no river coming in and no real spring (although it is filled by groundwater and porous earth). We have NO CLUE how it got in. It's entirely private property and we would know if someone had been back there. We've lived here for three years and never once seen it before although we have been watching the pond more than we ever did before since we stocked it.

Three questions,

Is the koi going to affect the trout population in the pond in any way? We think it's just one, but there could be more. (They are so big and visible this is unlikely)

Any clue how the Koi got in to our pond? This is the big mystery around here and none of us can think of a plausible solution.

There are also catfish in the pond, they have always been there. They don't grow any longer than 6 inches and we've only seen a few. Are these going to do any harm to the trout population? I'm not worried about baitfish as like I said there seems to be an inordinate amount of minnows and shiners in the pond.

Thanks PB Forums,

Pat

Kill the Koi and Catfish!

Bob-O,

Why? Will they do harm to the trout?

and how?

I know how to catch catfish, but I feel like any attempt to will get scooped up by the trout, also have no clue how to catch koi.

The same techniques used to catch carp can be used to catch koi.

I don't know that they will necessarily do any direct harm to the Trout. However both are bottom grubbers and will stir up the water. Also every pond has a limited carrying capacity and why let some of that be taken up by basically trash fish? I put 6 Koi into my 1/4 acre pond 5 yrs ago and I got chewed out by Bill Cody. I speared the last one in June and now have found out I have some CC in there (how I don't know)and am jug fishin to try to get rid of em. I'd rather have an additional 6-8 WE instead of mud stirring hogs that eat my 6-8" YP. Some folks on here like CC but if yours are staying in the 6" range I'd guess them to be Bullheads, not too good for anything. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it but if ya get the chance to eliminate some of em do it. Good luck.

In case he doesn't already know, it is easy to tell a bullhead from a CC. Bullhead will have a straight tail and CC will have a "V" shaped tail.

My guess is bullheads too.