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Urban Fishing for Mr. Whiskers - FishNews - 09-18-2008
By Joe Kozfkay, Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Across the Treasure Valley and surrounding area, you'll find them tucked behind subdivisions, surrounded by a park or hidden down by the river.
They are a true treasure - urban fishing ponds. Idaho Fish and Game manages about 20 of these ponds in southwest Idaho from east Boise to Payette. Veteran's Park, Riverside, Rotary, Merrill, Wilson Springs, Sawyer's and Horseshoe Bend's Mill Pond are just a few examples.
Within a stone's throw of more than half a million people, these ponds are easily accessible and receive high angling use, especially from families with youngsters looking for a quick backyard adventure. The demands on your time are greater than ever; Fish and Game understands that and considers these ponds crucial in the fight to keep children interested - and participating - in the great outdoors.
Most of these ponds are the byproduct of now defunct gravel mining operations near the Boise, Payette, Weiser and Snake Rivers. With the gravel extracted, the gravel companies left, and cool, clear groundwater quickly seeped back into the resulting hole. Having no use for these flooded lands, many owners sold or even donated the properties to Fish and Game or local municipalities.
This collection of public fishing ponds - particularly along the Boise River - has evolved into one of the best urban fishing programs in the West and accounts for about 100,000 fishing trips each year.
Initially, largemouth bass and bluegill were trapped and transferred from nearby waters to populate these ponds and create fisheries. Prolific spawners, these species have flourished in their new homes and continue to provide fishing opportunity. But because of the high amount of fishing pressure, larger bass and bluegill tend to be removed rather quickly.
To keep ponds productive, put-and-take hatchery programs have been developed to bolster fishing success and provide harvest opportunity. Rainbow trout are stocked in most ponds on a bi-weekly basis during the cool and cold water period from October thru May. At eight to 10 inches, these fish are ready to bite shortly after hitting the water, and provide plenty of early spring and early fall fishing action.
During the summer months however, these ponds have often gone wanting. In the broiler months of June, July, August and even September in some years, water temperatures exceed 70 degrees in many of the Valley's ponds. These temperatures suit bass and bluegill just fine, but are borderline lethal for trout. As such, Fish and Game refocuses rainbow trout stocking efforts away from local ponds during these months, and places these fish in local streams and rivers where survival conditions are better.
The timing, of course, could not be worse. Just when everyone's looking for a place to fish - the weather is warm and school is out - a favorite fishing hole suddenly has less fishing opportunity.
The Nampa Fish and Game fisheries staff has come up with a solution; channel catfish. Catfish do well in warm water environments, are good "biters," fight very well and taste great. What more could a budding young angler ask for?
A pilot program has been initiated to improve fishing opportunities in local ponds by stocking channel catfish. Earlier this year, fingerling channel catfish were purchased from commercial suppliers and stocked in several ponds across the valley. Ranging in size from six- to 14-inches, these young catfish will grow quickly. The larger ones should provide fishing action right away, while the smaller ones will need at least a year before they become big enough to catch.
There's more. On three occasions this summer, Fish and Game employees ventured down to the Snake River, collecting adult-sized channel catfish and transferring them to several Treasure Valley ponds including Parkcenter, Quinn's, Caldwell, McDevitt, Beach's (at Wilson Springs), Sawyer's and Mill Pond in Horseshoe Bend.
Channel catfish are highly abundant and under-utilized in the Snake River. Moving a few hundred fish won't hurt Snake River populations and will provide many young anglers with the opportunity to catch a whopper. Most transferred fish were in the three- to seven-pound range, but a few large fish up to 20 pounds were also stocked.
Reports of monster cats caught or broken spiderman fishing rods have not yet come in, but it is hoped that these bruisers will keep folks excited about pond fishing through the remainder of the summer and into the fall.
In the coming years, hatchery and transplant programs will be evaluated to determine their effectiveness, both in terms of cost and catchability.
Regardless of your target species, pond fishing represents angling simplicity at its finest. A rod, reel, hook, bobber, a few sinkers and a dozen worms are all you need. And remember that many of the valley's urban ponds are designated Family Fishing Waters, where six fish limits for trout and bass and no limits on other species are the rule.
Other ponds are managed differently, so check the fishing rule book to determine what rules govern your favorite fishing hole. Brochures detailing the location of Valley ponds are available at local Fish and Game offices or on the department's website: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/.
Don't forget to pick up a fishing license for $25.75, a youth license for 14- to 17-year-olds costs $13.75, and youngsters under 14 years of age can fish for free. Call the Nampa Fish and Game office at 465-8465, if you have any fishing questions; we are always ready to help you have a great fishing experience, whether in the wilds of Idaho or down the street.
Joe Kozfkay, is a fisheries biologist in the Southwest Region.