Nessies are back ...................Darn it............caught four, more to go!

[addy1]

We got the minnow trap yesterday. I put some cooked chicken , a egg, some cooked ribs and a few tiny fish swam in .

Big nessie has now been relocated, dear hubby did while I was not home, no pictures darn it.

I put the trap back in the water within 15 minutes medium nessie got into the trap. Big t-storm was coming, so it is now in the trap in a home depot bucket, open, with a sock stuck in the opening. It gets taken to the farm pond tomorrow.

Still have two more to relocate, but they are tiny, may need to wait for them to grow up.

 

[Tula]

Good job !!!!!!!!!

 

[j.w]

@addy1 I am so happy that trap is working as I so didn't want you to lose anymore fish. Those snakes can go eat wild food now and stay away from your pond. Might keep that trap handy as I bet there are more Nessie's ready to take old Nessie's spot for sushi

 

[addy1]

Caught two more nessies, one medium one smaller, I know I have at least one more, very small like 8ish inches.

Will keep trapping them. 4 tadpoles had gotten into the trap, they probably lured in nessie.

 

[Tula]

Approx how long did it take before one entered the trap? How did you situate the trap?

 

[addy1]

The first day the trap was out, it took maybe a hour and we caught the biggest one. I put chicken, some rib meat and a egg into the trap. A bunch of the new small fish swam into the trap, four, all safe. Hubby removed the snake, I was not home, I came home put the trap back in within 15 minutes caught # 2 the next biggest one. Now just with some chicken and ribs.

I put the trap back in without any food, it was cold figured the snakes would not be swimming around. About mid day I decided to walk down and look at it, had both snakes in the same trap and 5 tadpoles.

The left red arrow points to the bog water fall. The lower red arrow points to the 1000 gallon waterfall, just rebuilt, needs to be finished, right red arrow points to the 1000 gallon pond. Blue line and arrow, points to the "normal" path of the snakes. They tend to lay in the upper pond and go down the waterfall into the big pond.

They tend to stay on that ledge, about 5-6 inches down, (which never showed before lol I cut some plants out) Going to work on it later.........

So I put the trap in their "normal" path. Even had one sunning on the trap.

I saw a tiny one in the bog, like 8 inches a new born. Who knows how many more are around. I will keep putting the trap out, only when we are around, since tads and fish swim into it.

I keep the upper edge out of the water so they don't drown. I have it tied to the bank.

 

[j.w]

Yay @addy1 you and your beautiful fish are winning!

 

[Tula]

You're becoming a skilled snake hunter

 

[mrsclem]

Was cleaning my Savio filter this morning, pulling the spring-flo out when I saw what I thought was one of the large brown salamanders. pulled out more media and not a lizard! Northern water snake and me with my hands in there. Called hubby,he loves snakes. We flushed it down thru the drain and tossed it in the woods. Now I'm paranoid wondering if there are any more.

 

[addy1]

Now I'm paranoid wondering if there are any more.

I saw one then two, then three, then four, caught four, I know there is at least one more tiny one. MaMa can have up to 30 babies, but usually only 8ish.

Last year only saw three, which just went away, I thought, quit seeing them.

Good luck! (Get a minnow trap) If it is a big fat one, does not fit through the hole, used a crayfish trap for fatty.

 

[mrsclem]

Mine went thru the 2" pvc drain, Didn't look like it had eaten lately. I haven't seen any frogs lately!

 

[addy1]

I saw tiny, the size of a pencil to about 1.5 inch wide. And all in-between.

 

[JBViper4]

If my wife ever sees a water snake in our humble pond, she will have it filled in with concrete by day's end. She may not let me save the fish.

I am always on the lookout to save those critters. She's cool with bullfrogs, turtles, fish etc, and snakes are a "no dice" situation with my lady. I have found two and relocated on the sly over the past 12 years.

 

[SarahT]

If my wife ever sees a water snake in our humble pond, she will have it filled in with concrete by day's end. She may not let me save the fish.

I am always on the lookout to save those critters. She's cool with bullfrogs, turtles, fish etc, and snakes are a "no dice" situation with my lady. I have found two and relocated on the sly over the past 12 years.

Your sly relocation secret is safe with us.

 

[GBBUDD]

Your pond could probably handle one snake preying on the pond but 4 . Glad you were able to get them that easily.

Last night I found that a gold fish that had been in the small upper pond and stream finaly made his way down to the main pond after a year of being alone. Well seems it was either a male or over zealous having new friends. It was chassing the females all over the pond all day it was relentless.
Deadpool worked its Cham I was able to lure him in with some food shut down the escape and caught him.
His new home is 1/3 of the bog that's 8 inches deep . There's no way out and no one to bother .