Crazy FishinRod question of the month to follow:
I looked up the paddlefish (aka spoonbill) record for Kansas yesterday, and was shocked to see that the record 144# fish came from a pond, rather than from a sluggish Kansas river.
Paddlefish are filter feeders with gill rakers - similar to tilapia.
The literature suggests they don't "do well" in environments without moving water, but also says that they need moving water to spawn. So I don't know if "don't do well" actually means failure to thrive, or failure to reproduce?
In my experience, ponds in Kansas during the summer have HEAVIER planktonic blooms for filter feeders compared to moving water.
1.) Not considering the supply logistics, would a couple of large paddlefish in a pond filtering out the planktonic food supply ALSO filter out a lot of the filamentous algae?
2.) Considering the problem of obtaining the fish, it is legal to snag them in a few designated locations in Kansas and I believe the only prohibition is transporting them over state lines for caviar purposes. However, I believe they are a totally protected species in some other states.
Comments speculating that paddlefish might actually be a tool for FA control, or help clear the water in a pond primarily used for swimming, as well as comments regarding the ridiculousness of the idea would all be welcome!
