Before I begin little description about me, I am 12 years old (don't judge my passion is based around tanks).
I am more of a do it yourself kinda of person and I build my own fish traps. Well ill make a about 20 of these I put them in the canal and here is my problem.I catch a million Gombusia musia (aka Mosquito Fish) and none of the fish i want like Golden Topminnows and other killifish. So how would I place my trap,or bait, or do to my trap to make it mosquito fish proof. These have official became pests to me.
Some help with traps?
Started by
Guest_Florida0Winner_*
, Oct 07 2013 09:03 PM
13 replies to this topic
#3
Guest_Doug_Dame_*
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Posted 08 October 2013 - 04:04 AM
Before I begin little description about me, I am 12 years old (don't judge my passion is based around tanks).
I am more of a do it yourself kinda of person and I build my own fish traps. Well ill make a about 20 of these I put them in the canal and here is my problem.I catch a million Gombusia musia (aka Mosquito Fish) and none of the fish i want like Golden Topminnows and other killifish. So how would I place my trap,or bait, or do to my trap to make it mosquito fish proof. These have official became pests to me.
I know for sure that bluefin killies and flagfish will go into (regular metal purchased) fish traps with no bait whatsoever. Probably golden-ear topminnows (Fundulus chrystotus) will too.
Drop the traps into plants or around the edges of underwater vegetation, and try a bit deeper water, anywhere from 1 to 6 foot deep. Go away or sit very still for 5 to 10 to 20 minutes, then see what you have. Try some with bait, and some without. I don't know if egg yolk is good chum for little fish, but regular flake fish food usually is.
Now mosquito fish are nearly everywhere, but your canal may or may not have good places for killies to live. Is it freshwater, or part-salt? You know your traps work, because you catch mosquito fish. If you don't catch killies with a few tries, probably they're somewhere else. Find somewhere with good plants and decent water, and you'll probably find the killies.
You make all these traps out of 2-liter soda bottles ?
Good luck. Let us know how it goes.
d.d.
#5
Guest_Gavinswildlife_*
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Posted 08 October 2013 - 10:07 AM
Before I begin little description about me, I am 12 years old (don't judge my passion is based around tanks).
I am more of a do it yourself kinda of person and I build my own fish traps. Well ill make a about 20 of these I put them in the canal and here is my problem.I catch a million Gombusia musia (aka Mosquito Fish) and none of the fish i want like Golden Topminnows and other killifish. So how would I place my trap,or bait, or do to my trap to make it mosquito fish proof. These have official became pests to me.
I always just net my gambusia. Try that, if you can see small schools. Also about your age... I am 13
. Your not the only kid here.
#6
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 08 October 2013 - 11:12 AM
Drop the traps into plants or around the edges of underwater vegetation, and try a bit deeper water, anywhere from 1 to 6 foot deep. Go away or sit very still for 5 to 10 to 20 minutes, then see what you have. Try some with bait, and some without. I don't know if egg yolk is good chum for little fish, but regular flake fish food usually is.
Doug's advice is always good (well unless you need to jump start your car, but that is another story)... but I think was he is saying here about depth is particularly important... the Gambusia will be in the shallowest (and hottest) water... the topminnows will prefer an area with a little more depth (not really because they like depth, I mean, hey, they are called TOPminnows for a reason, but because where the water is a little deeper, it will stay a little cooler) .
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#7
Guest_Skipjack_*
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Posted 08 October 2013 - 06:26 PM
I think that if you could add some floats to your trap, and keep it near the surface out in more open water you may have better success. Gambusia are almost always near shore in shallow water. Topminnows are still near the surface, but are not so opposed to open water.
#9
Guest_Florida0Winner_*
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Posted 10 October 2013 - 10:50 PM
Oh and yeah about netting them...There millions of them lineing the shore. Im not exagerrating any when I say Millions so simply netting wont get rid of them
Edited by Florida0Winner, 10 October 2013 - 10:50 PM.
#10
Guest_Assault0137_*
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Posted 22 December 2013 - 12:57 PM
I'm a problem solver... Hmm... How about you buy a big metal minnow trap, put a cichlid in it, and leave it for a week. Cichlid gets fed, and no more annoying mosquito fish!Oh and yeah about netting them...There millions of them lineing the shore. Im not exagerrating any when I say Millions so simply netting wont get rid of them
Ps yeah, I'm a kid too. 14.
Edited by Assault0137, 22 December 2013 - 12:58 PM.
#12
mattknepley
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- NANFA Member
- Smack-dab between the Savannah and the Saluda.
Posted 23 December 2013 - 06:47 AM
My girls and I used to throw a standard issue wire minnow trap off the end of a dock in Lake Greenwood, SC just to see what we would come up with. Usually it was just immature Lepomis sp. and crayfish. Once we did manage a dozen or so Cyprinella chloristia, which jumpstarted my renewed interest in keeping natives. The most interesting catch, though, was not a fish but rather a fish eater. We pulled up the trap from about 4' of water to find it void of fish, but absolutely packed with one beautiful, but unfortunately very much dead, northern water snake.
Matt Knepley
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."
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