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Possible piranha hooked in Utah Lake
Associated Press
Posted: 7:49:47 AM- Associated Press - Jack Clements thought he'd hooked a large bluegill but it turned out to be a 13-inch piranha or piranha-like fish.
Clements, 62, of Provo was fishing in Provo harbor across from the boat rental area Thursday when he caught the fish. As Clements reached down to take the hook out of its mouth, his son advised him against it. "My son says, 'You better watch it. That's a piranha, Dad,"' Clements said. Clements called the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, which sent an officer to claim it.
As of late Monday, the DWR had not yet determined whether Clements' catch a piranha or a piranha-like fish, such as a pacu, which on occasion have been pulled from Utah Lake and the Jordan River. "Every few years, it seems like we have someone who catches this kind of fish," said Scott Root, DWR outreach manager.
No matter what it is, the fish likely was dumped into the lake by someone trying to get rid of an illegal fish, he said. "There's probably not a lot of them in there," Root said. Clements said that even if the fish turns out to be a piranha, he would not worry about wading in Utah Lake."They don't bother you unless you're cut or bleeding or something like that," he said. "The natives in South America swim with them."
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I wouldn't sweat it even if it was a piranha. It would never survive the winter. Might play he-- with the June suckers while it was there???
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From KSL: [url "http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=355254"]http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=355254[/url]
Piranha-like Fish Caught in Utah Lake Was a Pacu July 12th, 2006 @ 7:00am
PROVO, Utah (AP) -- A 13-inch piranha-like fish caught in Utah Lake last week has been identified by the state Division of Wildlife Resources as a pacu.
"The main difference is (that) a piranha has an underbite whereas the pacu has almost more of an overbite," DWR outreach manager Scott Root said.
Pacu are traditionally vegetarians and use their teeth to cut through vegetation, Root said, but they occasionally may eat other fish.
The tropical fish probably dropped into Utah Lake by an aquarium owner who became overwhelmed when the fish, which can be purchased, started growing from 3 inches toward its fully grown size of 30 inches, Root said.
"This is the second time I've heard of (pacu) in Utah Lake," Root said. "What happens is people don't know what to do with them. They can't kill them -- they don't have the heart. So they do something even worse and put them in some water somewhere."
Root said there aren't any reports of anyone being bitten.
Scott Clements, 62, of Provo caught the fish Thursday near the Provo boat harbor and turned it over to the DWR.
It was a pacu.
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I wouldn't sweat it even if it was a piranha. It would never survive the winter.
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It's exactly that mentality that creates problems. Why wouldn't it survive the winter? Warm springs are present in Utah Lake. Turtles have found them. Tilapia do well out west. Cichlids do well near St. George. Letting exotic species into the wild is a very dangerous road to travel. Never let fish, or other pets, go in the wild, even if you think they won't survive.
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[#505000]Geez how many more times do we need to jump all over other BFT members over this bucket biology thing?? Couldn't that same comment have been made without attacking Geezer's attitude? I don't think Geezer was advocating releasing tropical aquarium fish into Utah Lake. He was only pointing out that the lake is not prime habitat for this type of fish. Your right there are a lot of ways it could survive the winter however a large population taking hold seems rather unlikely.[/#505000]
[#505000]I get irritated when a select few jump on other BFT members for not getting absolutely outraged, and posting in size 32 red font when these kinds of stories come out. Ya none of us like it one bit, and we ARE 
, but again it's not likely any kind of viable population could survive in the lake (which is what Geezer was saying). How many species has the DWR tried to establish which didn't take (pre-June Sucker program/Enviromentalist days)?[/#505000]
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[#505000]I would guess the vast majority of these "fish dumpers", do not have a clue about ecosystems, fishing, suitable climate ect... Most of them likely see it as [Fish + Water = Live fish] not wanting to kill an aquarium pet. I would speculate that most are so completely ignorant of the issue that to thought of not surviving the winter doesn't even cross their mind for a nanosecond.[/#505000]
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[#505000]Now where are my car keys I need to go dump live lobsters into Utah Lake. Next year we eat free lobster!!! anyone know where I can score some lobster traps?[/#505000] [
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Hey CP....There are some for sale on the main index page. I am not sure who is selling them. Good idea. I think we should look at crab also. They seem to tolerate degraded waters better. LOL!
Don't worry about Geezer, i think he can handle himself
] Hey Geezer, pm me for another trip soon.
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Carp -- chill out there fella. Who's jumping on a fellow BFT member here, you or me?
Your mentality is as bad as the people dumping the fish. You're encouraging it by saying "[font "Verdana,Arial,Helvetica"][black][size 1][#505000]but again it's not likely any kind of viable population could survive in the lake[/#505000][/size][/black][/font]
How do you know that? What about the turtle population? How likely was that? What about the cichlid population in St. George? How likely was that?
I don't know if Geezer took offense to my comments or not. If so, I'm sure he's a big boy, and can defend himself. He doesn't need some Crap Punisher to do it for him.
If it makes you feel any better, I made the same comments about dumping aquarium fish on 2 other boards as well. My comments were not directed to Geezer. They were directed towards the people that think moving live fish is no big deal.
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[#505000]Explain to me how I'm encouraging anything by saying it's not likely. Possible yes, likely no. Me saying it's not likely does not mean I encourage it anyway. How you construe that I do I don't know.[/#505000]
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[#505000]I guess my problem is he fact that everytime this issue arises I find your responses have little to no tact toward fellow BFT members and tend to smack of an elitist attitude. [/#505000]
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[#505000]If that offends you I'm sorry but I think a lot of people here would agree with me. I'm just tired of it and this time I am calling you on it.[/#505000]
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[#505000]In the interest of keeping things around here friendly I'm done on this thread. [/#505000]
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[#505000]Now where the heck ar those lobster!!![/#505000]
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Carp -- you say I have no tact. But, my comments drew attention by at least 1 person. So, my comments were successful.
I could care less about tact. I'm not on any of these boards to make friends, although I have made many. Call me on what you want. It won't be the first time people on different forums have tried to debate with me, and it won't be the last.
In the interest of getting back on topic, I stand by my comments. Illegal fish transplants, whether those fish are exotic, native, sport, or trash, are the single biggest threat to Utah fisheries. It's something I am very passionate about, and something I will not idely watch happen. I'll point out the dangers of illegal transplants every time the topic comes up. If you have a problem with that, and if that topic offends you, I am sorry, but I think alot of people will agree with me.
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[#505000]Ok I said I was done, but I lied. We all know you are passionate about that. I doubt there are many on this board who aren't agaisnt it, and don't agree wholeheartedly with you on illegal transplants, me included. [/#505000]
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[#505000]The problem is that to accuse me or Geezer for having the mindset that causes the problem by saying that species won't likely survive is crap. Neither I or Geezer are tossing our aquarium fish into the lake nor would we. We are aware of the potential impact and the damage it could do. [/#505000]
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[#505000]Saying Pacu wouldn't likely survive the winter is an accurate statement. A tropical fish isn't likely to survive near freezing water come January. The work likely in and of itself says that yes there is a chance it could but it's not a very good chance. Also even with hot springs I don't see any significant population taking hold and making it. [/#505000]
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[#505000]The kind of folks who do toss their pet Pacu in the lake I doubt think beyond the fact they are "freeing Willey" so to speak. I would guess most would get flsuhed if they thoguht far enough ahead to think winter survivablility.[/#505000]
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[#505000]As far as tact goes I think more people would embrace you and your message and give it far more credibility if you informed, and taught, other than to beat us over the head with it, while coming across like you were looking down your nose at us.[/#505000]
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if it were the other kind of Piranha and not a pacu.. i would be woryed alittle more.. the piranha is not Illegal because it can eat flesh.. it's Illegal in the USA becaus it's one of the only tropacal fish that (CAN BREAD IN COLD WATER).. IT CAN ALSO LIVE IN COLD WATER.. that is why piranha are Illegal here in the good old US of A..
with that said the ones i had it So. cal got there ass's kicked by my red deval!! and did not last 3 days.. 4 on 1 and they still lost.. and a blue gill can kick and red deval all over a tank..
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[#505000]I think more people would embrace you and your message and give it far more credibility if you informed, and taught, other than to beat us over the head with it, while coming across like you were looking down your nose at us.[/#505000][/reply]
I have a large nose. It makes it difficult to not look down it at others. Next time I try to make a point, I'll make sure to do it with my arms open, with flowers.
Like I said previously, I'm not here to make friends. I enjoy fishing discussions. I don't enjoy hand-holding.
Geezer -- you haven't piped up. If I offended you, I am sorry.
Carp boy -- go back and re-read the posts. Terms such as "won't likely" and "probably won't" are not what my post was directed towards. My post was directed towards a "it would never" comment. The point is that you, me, or Geezer don't know at what temperature range a Red Pacu (or Piranha, or Plecostomus) can thrive in. We don't know what pH they can thrive in. So, why take a chance? Why leave that unknown up to a "probably won't", "won't likely", or "never". Why even take the chance?
This banter doesn't need to be carried on in this forum any longer. If you would like to continue this in private, feel free to PM me, or email me.
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Won't live through the winter????? Well unless someone is dumping alligators, snapping turtles, and piranha's along with other tropical fish year after year, I won't count out the possibility they can live in cold water. Think of Maryland and the snakeheads, I'm sure the owner thought it'd die sooner or later, but years later they still have to worry about them wrecking havoc on the crab population in the Chesapeake Bay. I guess when someone pulls a pacu through the ice in Utah lake we'll have the proof.
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Maybe you boys ought to oil each other up and wrestle...
We could have the first annual BFT - BFT...
The Big Fish Tackle - Brokeback Fighting Tournament...
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would this be televised on pay-per-view??!!! I'd pay 35 bucks to see it. Loser has to swim near the hotsprings and see if anything else is in there!
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[#505000]Well I don't know about oil.... make it chocolate pudding and I'll consider it! [][/#505000]
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