Need to retrieve my koi

[dsmccain]

So last year, I bought a rather pricey koi on a whim. I really liked the colors, he was about 5 inches, paid 40 bucks for him. Had him in a 55 gallon tank. Last August, I released him into a private pond where all type of fishing activity is prohibited, so the fish are free to grow.

I returned back to the pond after the winter, and I spotted him, and hes grown tremendously. I want to get him back. The pond is on company property, though people are free to walk around the park anytime during the day. He gets really close to the waters, I even fed him yesterday, very personable fish. I attached photos below.

Now I want to get him back, I need to pull an operation which will include koi food, a net, and a bucket.

 

[stroppy]

have you got anywhere to keep him ?

 

[Jas2Cats]

He sure looks like he's thriving where he is. I hope you have a nice pond for him to live in.

 

[fishin4cars]

Nice Hi Sushui, Good luck getting her back! Without draining that pond the ONLY way I can think of is netting with food. Now in the size pond I have three ideas.
Each is going to depend on a different type of net.
1 Sock net- Very tricky and will take several attempts IMO but also the safest, Put food in the end of the net try and persuade it to swim in. once it goes in slowly lift the hoop end.
2 Crab net- This was just discussed a couple of days ago. It would lay on the bottom and is square. It lifts from the center so a large pole will be needed. Very bulky once spread out, not the easiest to do but they do work great for crabs and mullet I've never used this to catch a koi, :alieneyesa: But I think I could.
3, My choice if I had to choose one, two people, one set of waders,one very long scene net. One person is getting wet! One gets to feed and keep it close to the bank, Other walks the net out and around the fish.
If It was me, name the fish and Leave it be and enjoyed. But don't tell a bunch of people YOU put it in there and PLEASE, Do not add more! In many cases this could actually be illegal to release a ornamental fish to the wild. So please don't give it a buddy and get them breeding. That could cause a serious issue with state officials and the other life in the pond, . :lol:

 

[stroppy]

Nice Hi Sushui, Good luck getting her back! Without draining that pond the ONLY way I can think of is netting with food. Now in the size pond I have three ideas.
Each is going to depend on a different type of net.
1 Sock net- Very tricky and will take several attempts IMO but also the safest, Put food in the end of the net try and persuade it to swim in. once it goes in slowly lift the hoop end.
2 Crab net- This was just discussed a couple of days ago. It would lay on the bottom and is square. It lifts from the center so a large pole will be needed. Very bulky once spread out, not the easiest to do but they do work great for crabs and mullet I've never used this to catch a koi, :alieneyesa: But I think I could.
3, My choice if I had to choose one, two people, one set of waders,one very long scene net. One person is getting wet! One gets to feed and keep it close to the bank, Other walks the net out and around the fish.
If It was me, name the fish and Leave it be and enjoyed. But don't tell a bunch of people YOU put it in there and PLEASE, Do not add more! In many cases this could actually be illegal to release a ornamental fish to the wild. So please don't give it a buddy and get them breeding. That could cause a serious issue with state officials and the other life in the pond, . :yikesu:

but fishing is prohibited so he could get into trouble if seen

 

[fishin4cars]

but fishing is prohibited so he could get into trouble if seen

He could possibly get in trouble for releasing it if someone knew he let it go. If It's private property the best bet would be get permission first. I would be very surprised if it was acually caught, I have a hard enough time catching one in a 300 gallon pond, Took me three days to get one 6" fish out of that pond without empting all the plants and rocks out!

 

[addy1]

could he get it used to being hand fed in one spot and with some one helping net it as it feeds?

 

[fishin4cars]

From personal experience I would start feeding it daily and get it very used to me, Then put the net in the water and feed but not try to catch it. Let it get so readily familiar with the net that it feels comfortable and then coax it into the net with food. One swift netting will scare it and that might be the one and only chance to catch it so I would want it in the net and slowly lift it out. Takes a lot of patience but that's the best way I have found to get one out of a pond without freaking the whole pond out. Once That's done, No way will it ever freely be caught in a net.