CTFishTalk.com: Todays fishing + Koi problem - Connecticut Lake Fishing ( CT Lake Fishing ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

dam0007 · Joined: 03 Sep 2012 Posts: 7

Hit Indian Wells today got 2 LM Bass 4lb and a 4 1/2lb via boat.

Omw home hit Frogs Pond in Trumbull caught a bunch of stuff <1lb and after thinking damn why are all these so small I noticed 2 giant Koi carps in there. As far as I know over just a couple years these 2 could really alter the habitat in this small pond. Idk who released these here but I'm kinda pissed off. I'm 30 and have been fishing here since I was 5, really don't want the pond/lake to go to crap... I mean carp... Lol

Any ideas guys? Should I

A) kill em
B) call someone state/town etc
C) bring them to another waterway
D) none of the above?

therieldeal · Joined: 20 Oct 2010 Posts: 245 Location: Thompson, CT

I would say none of the above… I’m not sure why you are so concerned about two carp? I don’t know how small this pond is, but one of my favorite local ponds to kayak fish is not very big and has MANY carp in it, but also plenty of good sized bass. I mean last weekend I caught two 2+ pounders on back-to-back casts, along with several more between 1-2 pounds throughout the morning. Just yesterday my girlfriend caught a 3.5 pounder out of there. Yet, I’ve also caught carp ranging from 1-10+ pounds out of the same pond. They can and will coexist, no need to do anything.

If this is a very small pond then I would be more concerned about the bucket brigade taking all the keeper size bass home to eat. That will decimate the bass population in a small body of water faster than anything else (well other than a deep freeze/fish kill).
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PB's:
LMB - 4 pounds - Stump Pond, Thompson
Carp - 11 pounds - W. Thompson Lake, Thompson

Still searching for some toothy critters big enough to be worth weighing...

dam0007 · Joined: 03 Sep 2012 Posts: 7

Cool thanks for the info. I was checking out some stuff posted from the dep about different species in areas they're not native to. Gave them a heads up on it. The pond is pretty small, google Frog Pond in Trumbull. One more thing now that I think about it didn't catch a single Perch. :/

jjbassfishn · Joined: 17 Jun 2012 Posts: 209 Location: Northwestern CT.

SAP284 · Joined: 07 Jun 2011 Posts: 655 Location: Central, CT

I agree with JJ, I really doubt they pose a threat to other species in there. Especially based on their diet.
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Steve

dam0007 · Joined: 03 Sep 2012 Posts: 7

Here's what I've read about them affecting waters their not native too.

- uprooting of plants and what diet consists of will most likely prevent new plants from growing (lily pads, grass, etc this will affect frogs which could affect Bass)
- increase of turbitiy, over time 1 carp per xxxx gallons of water, will become cloudy/murky
- will affect food sources of native panfish
- carp, catfish and gold fish spawn, they can easily over populate the water in a shorter period of time then any other species (this explains Goulds Manor in Fairfield lol)
- feed at and near spawn points of other fish species would affect other species population

This is all internet hearsay.

SAP284 · Joined: 07 Jun 2011 Posts: 655 Location: Central, CT

Carp don't have stomaches (at least that's what my buddy told me). Therefore they eat frequently in small increments. Not enough to effect what you are talking about. If there were thousands of them in a confined area than I would understand, but really I doubt it's anything to worry about. From a spawning perspective I could see what you mean though.
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Steve

JustinSolak · Joined: 17 Jul 2011 Posts: 245 Location: East Hartford, CT

I've read all the same stuff on carp destroying lakes and ponds, and frankly i don't believe any of it, from what i've seen.

Carp lay hundreds of thousands of eggs in the spring time, which can provide an immense amount of forage for panfish such as perch and bluegill. What actually makes it out of that batch of eggs emerges as small shiner type fish, and until they're about a year old, they're plenty small enough for bass to indulge in.

Koi carp are omnivorous, but most of their diet consists of plant type foods, and can take part in somewhat cleaning up a lake. As far as turbidity of the water, crystal clear water is actually on the "con" side of pros and cons pertaining to bass growth.

Now we fish a pond, i prefer to keep the name under my hat, that we've hit carp up to 30 pounds out of, and they're stacked up in there like cordwood. On a normal day we'll hit 5 or 6 in a couple hours and miss loads more. But this pond also has some of the best bass fishing I know of with 5-6 pounders being somewhat common, and yellow perch like ya read about. Now how can these fish grow so damn big when the carp are all in there "destroying" the pond?

You decide.
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...of all the liars among mankind, the fisherman is the most trustworthy.

Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught.

Michael · Joined: 28 Jan 2012 Posts: 3823 Location: Bridgeport

I've been fishing Frog Pond for 5 years now and have always been seeing those same carp in there. They are no threat at all. Every spring I have a good time with the bass and bluegills there and never see any change in weeds other than air and water temps.

I wouldn't bother being concerned about those carp.

mikey5string · Joined: 09 May 2012 Posts: 179 Location: West Haven

there are lots and lots of different kinds of carp. Grass carp can really harm a fishery by, well, eating all the grass. They are non native.

They have voracious appetites.

Having no stomach means they eat and shit and never get full. So all that life supporting, lush green vegetation turns into decomposing carp shit at the bottom of a lake/pond.

There are carp in a lot of great fishing lakes. That doesn't mean ALL carp are harmless. NEVER relocate a fish. If you see a fish you have never seen, contact the DEP. They will be able to tell you if it is a non native/nuisance fish and if warranted, do something about it.