Stocking a private pond.

NPO_Aaron

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My wife and I are potentially purchasing a farmstead and some land that has a couple substantial ponds. I haven't had an opportunity to map the depths or anything, so this whole post is based on a "what if" scenario.

Does anyone have experience stocking a private pond? I know you need special permits to transport and stock the fish, but what other variables do I need to know and take into consideration for this potential project?
 


Lycanthrope

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You could spend $$$ or just throw a few of whatever fish you want in there in, as adults and cross your fingers.... Id probably go with the latter, but it may not be legal in the good ol' "free" USA! God bless 'merika.....
 

Davey Crockett

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There is a lot of red tape involved. I realize the need for the laws that are in place even though I feel NDGF is over regulating in some areas. The first thing you have to look at is the ponds and then decide what your budget for the project is and what you want in return for your investment. If it's just a big experiment then your in luck because you will go broke trying to do it for a profit. Best bet is to get a boat on the ponds and map them out and look on Google earth history to see that the ponds maintain the volume you have now . Once you have something to go on I'd call NDGF and pick at their brains.
 

johnr

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You could spend $$$ or just throw a few of whatever fish you want in there in, as adults and cross your fingers.... Id probably go with the latter, but it may not be legal in the good ol' "free" USA! God bless 'merika.....

You would be right, that is not legally allowed
 

MSA

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Probably fish in there now. If they have the depth ill bet they have perch, stickelbacks, and fatheads in them already. Those three species spawn very shallow and have sticky eggs that hitch rides in with ducks n geese.

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I would be concerned if you did not see any fish in it this summer, that would be a good indicator it won't sustain anything you stock in it.
 


guywhofishes

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Probably fish in there now. If they have the depth ill bet they have perch, stickelbacks, and fatheads in them already. Those three species spawn very shallow and have sticky eggs that hitch rides in with ducks n geese.

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I would be concerned if you did not see any fish in it this summer, that would be a good indicator it won't sustain anything you stock in it.

MSA - do you know of any studies that somehow scientifically confirm the "duck transfer" theory rather than anecdotal evidence? Not an easy study to make - but I would imagine someone has captured ducks and examined legs/feathers, etc. for signs of fish eggs? I could see daphnia and other "plankton" size stuff being transferred readily - but fish eggs are a bit more difficult in my mind.

Reason I ask is that if duck transfer is so common then why did many of ND's big slough systems have to "wait" until game and fish stocked them before they became perch fisheries?
 

KDM

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I can't see fish eggs with the naked eye, but I have found freshwater shrimp, tadpoles, snails, leeches, and other non flying water critters in the feathers of ducks and geese I've cleaned after a hunt. I guess it's not that big of a stretch to add fish eggs from broadcast spawning fish to the list. However, I am not aware of any peer reviewed journal articles that looked at this subject in detail.
 

Lycanthrope

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I dont know about perch, but I know fatheads make it places they shouldnt be, small ponds with no connection to larger systems, and Im sure its not because they are stocked there. I know a pasture pond that was constructed about 10 miles from bismarck not too long ago, with no way for larger fish to get into it, but the farmer told me there should be areas that are over 15ft deep. I tried catching fatheads in there, didnt get any at all, so I went out there after there was some ice and set some tip ups, sure as shit I caught several 8-12 inch pike in less than an hour.
 

Fishmission

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Locals usually do thier own stocking of public lakes if they deem thier fav lake does not have the fish they want in it.
Could just blame the sudden appearance of perch or whatever you want in there on locals. Who's going to really know?:;:
 


guywhofishes

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I can't see fish eggs with the naked eye, but I have found freshwater shrimp, tadpoles, snails, leeches, and other non flying water critters in the feathers of ducks and geese I've cleaned after a hunt. I guess it's not that big of a stretch to add fish eggs from broadcast spawning fish to the list. However, I am not aware of any peer reviewed journal articles that looked at this subject in detail.

wow - tadpoles?
 

KDM

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It was an early season goose hunt and the birds only had to fly about a half mile. I remember it because when I pulled the breast feathers back to peel the skin the darn thing flopped right onto my thumb. I was shocked to see a tadpole in SEPTEMBER, but maybe there are frog species that overwinter as tadpoles. IDK.
 

Enslow

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I pull the bs flag on winter tadpoles. Go feed your chickens some bgill guts.
 

Allen

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Best reference for such interbasin transfer of biota I know of would be the supporting documents for the Red River Valley Water Supply Project's EIS. They spent a good deal of time on this topic because of Canada and Minnetucky.
 

MSA

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It was an early season goose hunt and the birds only had to fly about a half mile. I remember it because when I pulled the breast feathers back to peel the skin the darn thing flopped right onto my thumb. I was shocked to see a tadpole in SEPTEMBER, but maybe there are frog species that overwinter as tadpoles. IDK.

yes, not all tadpoles (or any amphibian larvae) morphs out the same year, lots of different variables that dictate if and when they leave the water.

- - - Updated - - -

MSA - do you know of any studies that somehow scientifically confirm the "duck transfer" theory rather than anecdotal evidence? Not an easy study to make - but I would imagine someone has captured ducks and examined legs/feathers, etc. for signs of fish eggs? I could see daphnia and other "plankton" size stuff being transferred readily - but fish eggs are a bit more difficult in my mind.

Reason I ask is that if duck transfer is so common then why did many of ND's big slough systems have to "wait" until game and fish stocked them before they became perch fisheries?


I have witnessed it myself, I have found tiny fish eggs in the feathers of tame ducks I have held just to show someone all the different crap that hitch hikes on birds. and the countless water bodies that I have sampled which almost 99% of had some type of fish in them, all of which had no prior connection with any permanent water bodies, creeks, or rivers.

point to a puddle that is more than 12 months old and I would bet money every time that there's fish in it. I might lose on occasion, but 9 out of 10 times I'll be putting cash in my pocket. virtually every slough out there has fish in them, and if they don't its because of water chemistry, like high salinity or its too alkaline.

as far as an actual study, I havn't looked. once I tested it and saw it over and over again with my own eyes I just accepted that there was no other logical way for fish to spread that rapidly.
 
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KDM

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I pull the bs flag on winter tadpoles. Go feed your chickens some bgill guts.

Go catch me some bluegills and bring them over. Then we can discuss your BS flag. :;:howdy

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yes, not all tadpoles (or any amphibian larvae) morphs out the same year, lots of different variables that dictate if and when they leave the water.

Figured as much. Thanks MSA. You're better than google sometimes. LOL!!
-
 

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