Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Fertilization fish guts back into the pond?

It it beneficial to throw what's left of the fish after filleting back into the pond? or better to get rid of them some other way? Seems like the nutrients would be good for the pond. But I've seen signs at lakes banning it, so I wasn't sure.

Not good. Unless you like turtles.. And the smell of rotting fish..

If the pieces were small enough I am sure you catfish if you have them in the pond would eat them.

As far as turtles go, I would like to know how you keep them out of a pond.

swimming and stepping on fish bones or a catfish spine wouldn't be pleasant.

esshup,

that is a good point, I did not think of that since I am not big on swimming in ponds anyway.

Then again if I had some of the waters people have on here with the 5-10 clarity I would be in it every day.

I have been trying to get an answer to this question for nearly 60 years.

Growing up in Wisconsin and Minnesota, it was (still is) illegal to put fish guts back in the water. This is from the Wisconsin DNR fishing regulations:

It is illegal to:

• to deposit fish carcasses or parts, including entrails or other waste, into Wisconsin waters or on the bank or shore of any water.

When I've fished at the ocean, especially on piers, all the fish guts go back in the water. When I first came to Virginia, I was taught to put the fish guts back in the rivers where we fished for bluegill and small mouth. It was to feed the catfish.

In Washington state I remember that they encouraged campers to dispose of fish guts back in the water to keep varmints and bears from coming into camp.

So, we are still no closer to an answer, but . . .

If I clean a fish during the day, I'll just leave the entrails and head out in an open area. Seagulls and crows will show up in no time and clean it up. But there, usually all that I have is the remains of a single fish, I might have to do something different with multiple.

I used to do it in 90,000 acre Lake livingston to draw CC into the cove. I would never even think about doing it in my pond. Hard enough for the few turtles that survive my thinning to keep the normal mortalities cleaned up. I try to put them out at nightfall behind the dam or near some other woods. Not a scrap left the next morning. Need to get the game cams up and see the size of the coons. If I have to put them out in the day, buzzards do a good job, also with dead turtles that I discard. It is rather eerie though, watching the buzzards watch me while a flock is perched up in a dead tree.

In my pond, we only harvested CC and threw the heads/barbles on the backside of the dam and the entrails, tail and skin back into the pond.

Now is the time to bury the "leftovers" in your garden

A sink with a kitchen garbage disposal that drains into the pond keeps the parts in small manageable sizes if you have electricity at the dock.

Ok, I'm intrigued by this. So the idea is that you clean the fish, send the remains through the garbage disposal, then wash them through a hose or pipe that drains out of the sink and into the pond? Do you send the bones through too? Does the disposal and/or outlet into the pond get stinky and draw flies?

One of the states out west where I ship dead frozen trout to taxidermists wanted me to be sure to inform the taxidermist not to dump the remains in a local waterway. Disease concerns I guess if my fish had something that wasn't endemic to the area.

I still freeze the guts and send them out on garbage day, with newspaper used to clean on. Rolls up in a plastic shopping bag and ties easy. "If it ain't in freezer paper, don't eat it"

We dump the off a bridge for the turtles and coyotes

Since starting this thread, I have set up a "rot basket" that hangs over the pond. I put fish guts, dead racoons, and anything else that will rot in it. Flies lay eggs in the stuff. Eggs hatch into maggots that eat the protein. Then they drop into the pond for my fish to enjoy. Seems to work well. I learned about it on this forum.