BuzzH
Well-known member
My wife and I take the dog for a walk around a local kids fishing pond quite often. A couple weeks ago we saw, what appeared to be a largemouth bass. The GF typically stocks rainbows, cutthroat, and even grayling in there.
So, I figured since Spring Creek that flows from the pond feeds the Laramie River, probably best to contact the local fisheries biologist. I told Steve Gale I was about 95% sure it was a bass, but the water was a bit cloudy. He said they would shock the area and see...told him I hoped I wasn't sending him on a wild...well, bass chase.
Anyway, I wasn't crazy shocked the bass right where we had seen it. Article is a good reminder for:
1. Don't be planting fish where they don't belong, it can have devastating impacts on local fisheries.
2. When in doubt, say something. You wont be bothering the GF by reporting things even if it turns out to be nothing.
From the article:
Biologists dissected the bass and discovered a native Iowa Darter in its stomach. Scales and otoliths were collected for further study and to help determine where the bass came from. “The bass was either raised in an aquarium until it got too big and was released into the pond, or someone transplanted it from another location. The brown trout most likely was moved from Spring Creek, as there is a wild population in the creek. Both scenarios are illegal,” Gale said.
Gale thanked Laramie resident Buzz Hettick, chairman of the Wyoming Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, for recognizing and reporting the illegally-stocked fish. Illegal fish introductions can destroy valuable sport fisheries and native fish populations. Penalties may include lifetime revocation of Wyoming hunting and fishing privileges, a fine up to $10,000, up to a year in jail, and penalties incurred by the department in removing the fish. If anyone has information on this illegal fish stocking, please call 1-877-WGFD-TIP to report.
So, I figured since Spring Creek that flows from the pond feeds the Laramie River, probably best to contact the local fisheries biologist. I told Steve Gale I was about 95% sure it was a bass, but the water was a bit cloudy. He said they would shock the area and see...told him I hoped I wasn't sending him on a wild...well, bass chase.
Anyway, I wasn't crazy shocked the bass right where we had seen it. Article is a good reminder for:
1. Don't be planting fish where they don't belong, it can have devastating impacts on local fisheries.
2. When in doubt, say something. You wont be bothering the GF by reporting things even if it turns out to be nothing.
Illegally stocked fish discovered in Huck Finn Pond | Wyoming Game & Fish Department
After discovering illegally introduced fish in a kids’ fishing pond in Laramie, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department reminds anglers there are harsh penalties for moving live fish in the state. Fisheries biologists received a tip about a possible largemouth bass in Huck Finn Pond in mid-August...
wgfd.wyo.gov
From the article:
Biologists dissected the bass and discovered a native Iowa Darter in its stomach. Scales and otoliths were collected for further study and to help determine where the bass came from. “The bass was either raised in an aquarium until it got too big and was released into the pond, or someone transplanted it from another location. The brown trout most likely was moved from Spring Creek, as there is a wild population in the creek. Both scenarios are illegal,” Gale said.
Gale thanked Laramie resident Buzz Hettick, chairman of the Wyoming Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, for recognizing and reporting the illegally-stocked fish. Illegal fish introductions can destroy valuable sport fisheries and native fish populations. Penalties may include lifetime revocation of Wyoming hunting and fishing privileges, a fine up to $10,000, up to a year in jail, and penalties incurred by the department in removing the fish. If anyone has information on this illegal fish stocking, please call 1-877-WGFD-TIP to report.
