Great Koi Roundup 2017

[Jimmy Gibson]

Well it was a exciting/stressful/tiring day..... We drained the pond today and captured 37 4 to 5 inch babies and sent them on their way to new ponds. The exciting part was getting rid of the bio load on my pond. The stressful part was pumping the pond down too low and three of my 15 lbs Koi had their backs out of the water. The tiring part was trying to catch those fast little buggers. Found good ponds for all of them ( amazing when the word got about free Koi). We were going to keep eight but we had one little guy that we absolutely could not catch, so he stayed and his new name is "Lucky". The ones we kept are pretty cool looking but not beyond culling again next spring. But the most amazing thing about today got the pond filled up a few minutes ago and Sarah got some feed and the remaining babies came up and eat out of her hand like nothing ever happened, and I fed the big guys and it was business as usual

 

[Lisak1]

I am AMAZED at both how fast your fish bred and how fast those babies grew!

 

[Jimmy Gibson]

I am AMAZED at both how fast your fish bred and how fast those babies grew!

I first spotted them on April 24th..... The biggest one was a good 5" today

 

[Faebinder]

I'm amazed at how fast you got rid of them. I put an ad at Craigslist for my goldfish babies and no one came for them.

 

[Jhn]

Cool looking babies.....try a barbless fish hook next time and go fishing for them. Save you from having to drain the pond.

It is how I get fish out of my 220 gal. saltwater tank.

 

[Jimmy Gibson]

I'm amazed at how fast you got rid of them. I put an ad at Craigslist for my goldfish babies and no one came for them.

Two of the folks came from the hospital where Sarah works, they have a hospital Shop and Swap online, another lady was from our church, didn't know her but a friend told her about us, and another was a friend of one of our local pond buddy, so we got them all lined up to come this afternoon and get some fish, worked out pretty good

 

[Lisak1]

try a barbless fish hook next time and go fishing for them

How does a hook work without barbs? I've actually considered letting my grandkids fish for goldfish in my pond - but when I tell their parents it's "you catch it, you take it home" they decline!

 

[Jhn]

How does a hook work without barbs? I've actually considered letting my grandkids fish for goldfish in my pond - but when I tell their parents it's "you catch it, you take it home" they decline!

If you keep tension on the line once the fish is hooked it still can't throw the hook. The hook still has the sharp point that pierces the fishes mouth. Removing or crimping down the barb, just keeps the hook when going in to the fishes mouth from making a bigger hole and causes much less trauma to the fish when removed.

 

[Lisak1]

Oooohhhhh... I think even "less trauma" would be too much trauma. I'm a softie! I was hoping it was more like they would hang on because they wanted to. Haha!

 

[Tula]

@Jimmy Gibson , I never look forward to my annual round up, it's exhausting ! I wait till the end of summer, when my lilies are dying back and lift their pots out of the water, setting them on the edge of the pond. I also have to lift my "predator rock" which is a huge slab of granite, out of the pond, otherwise they hide under it.

Those babies are darn fast, some jumping and skipping across the pond, completely air borne ! I think I'll start earlier in the day this year, as we were getting late afternoon shade on the pond and it was hard to see. I've read about seine nets and minnow traps, but I just use my old fashioned net.

I don't keep any babies....even though I've got a couple cuties this year ! How did you get Sarah to agree to part with some?

 

[Jimmy Gibson]

Well I agreed to keep this many till spring and do the final cut then. But there again Sarah has a way of persuading me...... To go her way

 

[mrsclem]

I used to do a round up every year to sell off the extras. This year I decided I'm done selling koi so no more protecting eggs and growing fry out fast. Got rid of all my extra koi and kept 11 adults and a few 1 year olds I couldn't catch. My koi decided to spawn during the sale and now I'm back to 3-4 dozen young koi in the one pond! I wish they would stop changing colors so we can figure out what to keep! I kept my trap but sold my stock tanks so not sure where to put them once I do my last roundup!!!!

 

[Jimmy Gibson]

I used to do a round up every year to sell off the extras. This year I decided I'm done selling koi so no more protecting eggs and growing fry out fast. Got rid of all my extra koi and kept 11 adults and a few 1 year olds I couldn't catch. My koi decided to spawn during the sale and now I'm back to 3-4 dozen young koi in the one pond! I wish they would stop changing colors so we can figure out what to keep! I kept my trap but sold my stock tanks so not sure where to put them once I do my last roundup!!!!

That's where we are at, we had 8 that were pretty interesting, one we couldn't catch, and at the last minute one that Sarah just had to keep. But like you say they are changing colors as they get bigger. So far I have given away 47 Koi.....lol

 

[mrsclem]

Actually had a couple change color completely over 1 weeks time! Not sure if it was the stress or the growth and color food. I was under the impression that they stopped changing colors after about 5 years but I have a 12 year old who was blue and black and is now developing orange patches! Guess will decide who to keep by long or short fin and scale pattern. Have not actually given koi away, too many people who would not be good koi parents!

 

[Jimmy Gibson]

Actually had a couple change color completely over 1 weeks time! Not sure if it was the stress or the growth and color food. I was under the impression that they stopped changing colors after about 5 years but I have a 12 year old who was blue and black and is now developing orange patches! Guess will decide who to keep by long or short fin and scale pattern. Have not actually given koi away, too many people who would not be good koi parents!

Three of the six ponds I know them and they have very good ponds, the others never seen their ponds but I have heard they are good.... What tickled me was the little old lady ( late 70's... Had her 30 something grandson with her )from church that I had never met..... Thankfully she was first in line and I never saw a woman that picky.... For free Koi.... Her grandson just looked at me and smiled and shrugged his shoulders..... Some of these might not be the best ponds but if I had not found homes for them, they were headed to my pond buddies farm pond, either way they have a chance