[laugh]Short story: I don't know what kind of fish this is. I netted about eight -between 3/4" to this one, which is about 2 1/2" long- at the Jordan River tonight.
Longer story: I worked at Seven Peaks water park on 1700 s (tonight was my last night there) doing maintenance and water quality. When I had free time I would go kick around the Jordan watching carp, the muskrat, and head minnows for the last couple months. I always wondered what these were, and thought they were carplings, and since it was my last night, I was going to figure it out. I grabbed a pool skimmer, and the minnows shot for the grasses as soon as they saw me. I shoved the skimmer in the grass and caught about eight of these minnows, a little crawdad, and a water snail. Pretty cool if you ask me[cool]. I stuck em' in an old betta bowl with an aerator.
I have no idea what they are. They don't look like any native rough fish that I know of. They look more like guppies or danos, from someone's aquarium. They as pretty fat in the belly (the bigger ones), an underslung jaw, rounded tail fin, and a dark band under the eye....
What do you think????
[signature]
[blush] knew I forgot something....
take a gander....
[signature]
Fishrmn, I think you nailed it, and without seeing the pic!
[signature]
Wow Fishermn you are good no picture and it still looks like you guessed it.
ken
[signature]
Fishrmn should work for CSI or something. Who knows maybe it was a lucky guess or he is really that good!
[signature]
I like to collect these for the pond,also great for live bait on ultralight tackle.These have live birth,another cool fish we have down here are half beak,also live bearing and eat minnows.We also have these cool guys called flagfish,...[cool],"keep on rockin"... Paulpro knows fishing like Bo knows baseball
[signature]
" I stuck em' in an old betta bowl with an aerator."
[cool][#0000ff]ILLEGAL.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Several years ago one of the BFT members made a similar report about collecting some fathead minnows from Yuba and finding a few still alive when he got home. So, he put them in his aquarium and took a picture. A DWR officer actually showed up at his home and wrote him a citation.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
I never said I took them home!
I put them in the betta bowl just so I could get a decent picture in clear water there at the park. I put the aerator in to keep them alive (which, after reading up on these guys, I probably didn't have to do, these are very hearty fish!). After catching them the band of color disappeared and I waited long enough for it to come back before they were released.
the betta bowl was just a temporary livewell....
[
][
][
][
][
]
[signature]
[cool][#0000ff]Nice recovery.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Not snarkin' on ya. Some folks are not familiar with the regulations against transporting live minnows. And your post was not completely clear. Most folks don't carry an aquarium and aerator with them. Easy to assume you did that at home. Sorry for the misinterpretation.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Those are definitely gambusia. Utah and other states rear them in hatcheries to drop into waters where they want natural control of mosquitos. The little fish tend to stay around the edges and snarf up the mosquito larvae. They do make good bait for bluegills, crappies, white bass, etc. Just the right size for tipping a jig.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
That was gonna be my guess based on the description. See them in irrigation canals and such even.
[quote Paulpro]I like to collect these for the pond,also great for live bait on ultralight tackle.[/quote]
Don't know if that's legal either - depends on where you are. No live bait in Utah. Plus as TD points out - I think in general moving live fish is frowned upon.
So how'd the DNR get his address from a post? And did they bring their DNA testing kit? How 'bout checking the freezer?
I do know some gardening stores have had the fish for sale.
I'd love some of those for my pond! Just noticed the upper bowls are loaded with skeeter larvae! And little round buglets. Not sure what they are. The goldfish keep the main pool cleared.
My stupid dog will try to eat those floating skeeter pellets. Plus she likes slurping up the goldfish food AND realized she can touch bottom, so now she plunks herself ALL the way in! Danged mutt! At least she hasn't caught any fish (yet!)
[quote TubeDude][#0000ff]. . .[/#0000ff][#0000ff] Some folks are not familiar with the regulations against transporting live minnows. [/#0000ff][/quote]
So when you're off netting your minnows - what do you do with them? Got me a cast net, and plan to give it a ha-whirl soon. But got to thinking - what's the next step? I do have a battery operated aerator, but haven't used it. Do you put 'em on ice in a cooler, then sort them out into your baggies at home? What if the ice melts, and they're swimming? I've had chilled fishies that where still a bit floppy when it came to filet time.
Guess technically they should get a gillectomy, or a big skull bop before transport?
I'd expect minnows quickly go south and stinky if not promptly frozen, but I think if my boy took the bittybat to their tiny knoggens - I'd have a cooler of MUSH. Much harder to keep on the hook!
Tia
[cool][#0000ff]I unload my minnows from my "catch bucket" into a dry cooler. Then I layer them with sheets of refreezable packages...with one layer on the bottom and then a layer on top. They stiffen up pretty fast. In fact, some are frozen when I get them home for sorting and packaging.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Some guys layer them in rock salt...both to croak them and to begin dehydrating them so they stay firmer.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]No need to do individual head-bops. They are almost as wimpy as trout and die quickly. At least the chub minnows do. Carp are tougher.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I do know of guys who have been checked by DWR and there were minnows still flopping in their coolers. Discretionary call by the officer but they can issue a citation. Much worse if you have a protected species (trout, bluegill, crappie, white bass, perch, etc. in your minnow haul.)[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There are some lakes, like Scofield and Electric Lake where anglers catch minnows and fish with them on the spot. DWR officers will nail you if the minnow on the end of your line shows any signs of life. And they check your minnow bucket too. If there is water...and live minnows in it...you are busted. Definitely best to kill the minnows as soon as you catch them...somehow. Cheaper if you get checked.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
[quote CoyoteSpinner][quote Paulpro]I like to collect these for the pond,also great for live bait on ultralight tackle.[/quote]
Don't know if that's legal either - depends on where you are. No live bait in Utah. Plus as TD points out - I think in general moving live fish is frowned upon.[/quote]
If you'll check his user profile, you'll notice that he isn't in Utah. He also lists two types of fish that he uses that are not found in Utah. Half beaks, and flagfish.
[signature]
The Gambusha (sp?) are actually put in there by mosquito abatement as the mosquito larva are the fish's primary diet.
The winters here are harsh enough that they know most of them will not survive into the next year.
[signature]
the halfbeak is for decoration only,I wouldn't use them for bait,"minnow power",I added screen material to my 6foot castnet on the underside,took about an hour,net sinks a little slower but now I can catch anything that used to pass through the original holes..
[signature]
I did not check his profile, but that's why I 'qualified' my statement with:
Quote:depends on where you are.
No diss intended. Hope none taken.
Paulpro - what size mesh is your net? At TDs suggestion I went with 1/4" as he pointed out that keeps most of the minnows in, and doesn't leave them getting 'gilled' as they might in a 3/8".
Do your net still cast well with the extra screen on there?
Thanks for the info Pat.
[quote CoyoteSpinner]No diss intended. Hope none taken.[/quote]
He jumped in on another topic a while back, and I checked his user profile then.
No diss intended. Hope none taken.
[signature]
Yea Paulpro is from down south,
![[Image: bobmad.gif]](http://www.bigfishtackle.com/images/gforum/bobmad.gif)
a true southern boy,I'm happy to share,my net cast fine,sometimes catches the wind and floats off to the side,its a standard size hole,1/4 I believe,Wallmart net,I ended up sewing some regular screen on to the inside,like for patios,reg home depot screen,in black,very fine holes.Actually didn't sew it, I used mono,and passed it through the net holes and screen holes by hand ,took a while but worth it,did this years ago,still works great,only place fish get stuck is at the ends were the ends meat,it should be sealed at the ends so there is no gap,I open it inside a 5g bucket,man one throw is all you need,I even catch those fine ,freshwater shrimp down here.Only if the screen could be was easily removed,but I don't see a way how,this is a permanent mod,it would mean all that work for nothing if I remove the screen.,Its one of those things,its a good idea but a pain to do. I'll try to make a vid.Here is a vid from my profile enjoy............ Respect your fellow fisherman,Paulpro
[signature]