how to catch little koi

[D&RW]

as i wrote in an earlier post we are inundated with baby koi this year. how do you catch them? we have a 4500 gallon pond about 22X14 and minimum 3 ft on 1/2 and from 4-6 on the other. I'm thinking maybe a cast net, but dont' really want tor rope in the big boys too.

bought a little fine mesh net but they caught on to that quickly. i really don't want to drain a lot of water out of the pond. any ideas are welcome

 

[dieselplower]

I throw food close to the edge and them try to snipe the small ones with a net while they are busy fighting for the food. They learn quick though.

 

[DrCase]

I use my 24" round net , chances go up that I will nab a few each try

 

[capewind]

I didnt see your other post, so dont know how big your babies are ... Here's what works for us ...

If they are still in the half inch or under size, they may have a spot where they all like to hang out ... If they do, we have a flat, surface skimmer net ... just scoop them up and flick them (from the back side of the net) into a tote with some water in it ... If not, ours hang around the edges of the pond. Really hard to see, but if you are patient, you can snag them with a 4" fish tank net ... 3-4x a day will reduce them quickly ... as the sun is setting they tend to be easier to catch. While tiny, for us, it's the easiest time to catch them.

If they are over 1-3" the only thing that has worked for us is to get the big net out and drag the pond ... Anything that lives in our pond over 6" is friendly and a pain in the neck, so it becomes a three person job ... one to run the big net (it has "poles" on each end), one to use a normal net to catch the contained fish, and one to feed the bigger fish to keep them out of the way. We can get the bulk this way ... if you want ALL out, then drain the pond a bit ... Our main pond is 11x18 with 4-5' depth ...

If anyone has more suggestions, Im all ears too, as I have a few comets that need to go.

 

[Phil]

I have used a minnow trap I got at Cabela's. It's nylon mesh over a wire frame with funnels formed into each end. There is a sack for bait in the center, and the fry go in to get the food but can't find their way back out of the funnel. You just put in the bait, drop it in the water, and then check it a few hours later. Over a period of about a week I took out 61 fry, catching as many as 9 at one time. They did seem to "wise up" after a while as it seemed like I caught fewer and fewer, so I took it out and will wait a few weeks to try again. I don't know how many fry I had but I took out 61 and can't tell the difference so I think I need to take out at least 61 more! Good luck catching yours.

 

[D&RW]

great ideas. thanks very much.

as for size. gosh, i don't know why unless there were different batches of eggs, but we have quite a variety of sizes. from about 3-4 inches down to less than an inch.

 

[JohnHuff]

How to catch little koi? With little nets of course.

 

[koiguy1969]

i have to catch 100 -200 every year...draining the pond is the easiest way. of course your pond is far larger than mine at only.. 1200 gals. so it may not be practical for you. but you cant make it any easier... if this is gonna be a yearly thing, a easy set pool might be the answer. pump the water into it, catch the fish, pump it back. you can get a 18' round 4' deep..... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intex-18x48...929?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20d2906d09 you can get them cheaper than this. pvc construction, and fish safe, theyre ready to fill in less than 10 mins. may be worth the investment for yearly use. or a smaller one for a fry pond