How do fish get started in a pond ?

[kevin37b]

We have several borrow pits from the interstate and a couple of abandoned sand quarries we like to crappie fish . They have no inlet or outlet of water , just rain or drought . They have not been stocked that we know of . One pond will have crappie and bass , but no bluegill . Another has bluegill and catfish , no crappie . How do fish get started in a pond ?

 

[smstonypoint]

Only what I have heard - fish eggs become attached to birds (egrets, heron, etc.) that then fly to the abandoned quarry pits. The eggs hatch and voila.

Steve

 

[AchingBack]

To the best of my knowledge, fish eggs become trapped between a ducks body, and the top of their feet when they take off from a body of water. When they land in the next pond, or lake, the eggs are dislodged, and replanted, so to speak.

 

[Jstpssng]

I had never heard of the "ducks moving fish eggs" theory until two days ago at our Thanksgiving gathering, yet here it is again.It may be possible but I suspect the quarries in the OP's post were transplanted in a more conventional method... i.e., "5 gallon pail".
There's even a term for this; "bucket biologist". ;-)

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Mother Nature is fairly resourceful; water does have a tendency to seek its own level, to run downhill and ponds, lakes and rivers do overflow from time to time. I would guess there are multiple reasons that life springs anew in a lifeless pond. FWIW, tornadoes and water spouts have been known to suck up fish, frogs, etc. and deposit them miles from their origin. My wife swears that her school bus was pelted with thousands of baby frogs one day; in her words, it was "raining frogs". I wouldn't rule out anything, including "bucket biologists", having belonged to that society once upon a time.

 

[dragoneggs]

I had never heard of the "ducks moving fish eggs" theory until two days ago at our Thanksgiving gathering, yet here it is again.It may be possible but I suspect the quarries in the OP's post were transplanted in a more conventional method... i.e., "5 gallon pail".
There's even a term for this; "bucket biologist". ;-)

Yeah! I wasn't going to be smart and say, 'Just throw them in' but now you mention it The bigger trick though is to have enough oxygen in the water and a natural food source for long term survival. That is also assuming the surrounding soil isn't toxic.

 

[dave1949]

Geese and ducks land on my ponds now and then, but I have yet to see any fish appear. There is no natural water path that would allow fish to get into those ponds. It wouldn't really surprise me if eventually some fish show up, but it's been four years now and nothing yet.

I think the frogs move in before the mud is cleaned off the excavator. :laughing:

 

[Gary Fowler]

Minnows and some types of bream will magically appear in ponds that have no inflow water (dikes all the way around). How they do it is always theorized by cranes, ducks etc, but they do appear in most ponds within a year. If you have had no fish in 4 years, your local wildlife must be extinct.

 

[dave1949]

Minnows and some types of bream will magically appear in ponds that have no inflow water (dikes all the way around). How they do it is always theorized by cranes, ducks etc, but they do appear in most ponds within a year. If you have had no fish in 4 years, your local wildlife must be extinct.

There is a lake with decent fishing three miles distant as the duck flies. I dunno. Could be climate. Our ponds have been iced over for two weeks now, and will be until sometime in April. The ducks are gone too, obviously. Not much chance of fish transfer from early November til April or May.

 

[Clint S]

You need to contact your Department of natural resource, like said above if there is not enough Oxygen and feed in the pond it will be a waste of time and money. You need a stocking permit here in NY and provide #'s to the DEC