Heron Bass Fishing (Like in Great Blue Heron)

This is my first time here in the fishin section so howdy all.

This is long but I think it will be informative reading for you and I hope you enjoy and are enlightened by it.
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I have a farm and on it is a 2 acre pond/lake/pool/tank or whatever you choose to call it.

The last two years were terribly dry and last year most of the thing dried up killing a lot of really nice fish that have been in there (stocked several times) for a long time; some as long as 15 years. I've caught Black Bass over 7# and cats over 12. The corpses were many, large, and the vulchers had a field day......and the stench......yucko.

I saw an ad in the local paper recently where a fish hatchery truck was to be in our area and decided to invest in some fish. One of my concerns was poachers who have hit me pretty hard over the years.....the two legged kind. I went to the hatchery site, where I was going to order some fish, and came across a lot of info including info on predators, in particular (for me) the Great Blue Heron.

We have 3 or 4 Great Blue Herons that frequent the farm ponds around here and these are mature birds. I knew they poached fish, but had no idea as to how large, nor their nocturnal nature.

One day I found a dead Black Bass on the bank of about 2 lbs and figured the two legged poacher missed picking him up on his way out one night.....little did I know the Heron is a 24/7 feeder and after seeing the page referenced below, a Heron must have caught the bass but couldn't swallow it.

I ran across this site in looking up info on this "Federally Protected Poacher".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Heron-Bass-Fishing-01.jpg

If it doesn't take and you want to see something hard to believe just go to the wikipedia site and look up Great Blue Heron then scroll to the bottom of the page where a dozen pics exist....check out the one in the top row with the 3 lb bass in his mouth.

You won't believe it.
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Short story. Seems a fish hatchery had a pond with 5000 fish in it and several months after putting them there a worker decided to collect them for whatever reason. Only around 150 fish were recovered. The guy was astonished. He had a Federal permit to shoot protected birds and knew the ways of the Heron and apparently saw them "fishing" his hatchery.

He shot one and dissected it finding over 150 fish in it's stomach.....must have been fingerlings but none the less, that is a lot of stealing.
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So, after reading up on this critter and the fact that my hands are tied as to being able to eradicate them, and for what the fish cost, I decided to forgo the fish purchase.

Very disappointing.

Mark

Re: Heron Bass Fishing (Like in Great Blue Heron)

I had no idea they were that much of a poacher. A 3lb fish is big and I can't believe the thing was trying to eat it. If I were you I would just shoot them and nobody would ever know so you could go and enjoy your pond. I don't normally advocate the shooting of federally protected animals but sometimes, okay most times, the federal gov't doesn't have a clue of what's right and what's wrong.

Re: Heron Bass Fishing (Like in Great Blue Heron)

I just saw on the news within the last couple of weeks that a "non permitted" private fish hatchery guy was hauled into Federal Court by the FBI for shooting the suckers. Apparently the feds found evidence on his property of his having killed lots of them.

The fine was $65,000 and had potential jail time and was barred from going near a firearm for 5 years.
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Last spring we were invaded with white wing (tipped) buzzards. These are not your normal turkey buzzards with the turkey red wrinkled head scavanger, but a much shorter, faster winging, and much more aggressive bird. They don't necessarily wait for things to die.

They're MO is to attack a cow calving (while she's down) or attack the calf within the first few days of birth. They peck the eyes out of the calf, who is nearly defenseless anyway, which becomes disoriented and becomes easy prey.

Anyway during the calving season I'd find half a dozen around a cow/calf and I called the state game and fish commission about shooting them to save my calves................never got a reply.

They're Federally protected too.

Digging around on the subject I learned that they (the Fed) recently added a lot of new birds to the list including the Cardinal...............seems people catch them and make pets out of them and the Fed doesn't like that. Well, we usually have 3 or 4 families winter over in our yard and there are Cardinals everywhere, seems to be no shortage that have to be protected from extinction.

Mark

Re: Heron Bass Fishing (Like in Great Blue Heron)

While recently running across Lake Ray Roberts in 60+ depth, I noticed a blue heron seemed to be struggling in the water, I came round for a closer look just out of curiousity. The bird took off, leaving about a 2lb bass - surprised the heck out of me. Surprised to hear of their protected status - there's no shortage of 'em around here. I do like seeing 'em, don't know why, just makes me feel special I guess.

Re the cardinals, far as I know, there's always been a law (fed? state?) against domesticating wildlife, and haven't songbirds always been protected? Or is that an urban myth? How would you describe the song of a great blue heron? To me it sounds kinda like a big hunk of steel being ripped into shreds. Or more like a rusty old dumpster lid opening and closing?

We had a box turtle once, rescued from the highway by my daughter. Kept him in our atrium until one day he just disappeared. Couple years later he was found in good health by the termite guy, trenching around the foundation. We moved to house with no atrium, he ran away from the backyard. Or else he's still out there, living underground.

Re: Heron Bass Fishing (Like in Great Blue Heron)

Lots of them here in NY, too. I am wondering were the population is down to be on the protected list? I have seen them catch 8" bullheads, but not 2lb+ fish. Also, have not observed any after dark activity. News to me about being nocturnal. Especially, since they seem to be very active all day long.