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fish snakes

tazzertazzer Member Posts: 16,837
edited June 2008 in General Discussion
i was wanting to know if anyone knows how much fish they can eat I have a stock pond andn have caught 2 in teh last few nights i dont kill them i just relocate them to the creek but if they wont eat much then i may start leaving them \I have stocked the pond with highbred bluegills and catfish.i was thinking hedog might be able to help oout of this one [:D]

Comments

  • jma2006jma2006 Member Posts: 474 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You caught 2 snake fish?
  • tazzertazzer Member Posts: 16,837
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by jma2006
    You caught 2 snake fish?

    no they are snakes that eat fish we call them fish snakes here in east texas [:D][:D]
  • jma2006jma2006 Member Posts: 474 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by tazzer
    quote:Originally posted by jma2006
    You caught 2 snake fish?

    no they are snakes that eat fish we call them fish snakes here in east texas [:D][:D]


    Oh, I was thinking about those Snakehead Fish.

    qzmafs.jpg
  • tazzertazzer Member Posts: 16,837
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by jma2006
    quote:Originally posted by tazzer
    quote:Originally posted by jma2006
    You caught 2 snake fish?

    no they are snakes that eat fish we call them fish snakes here in east texas [:D][:D]


    Oh, I was thinking about those Snakehead Fish.

    qzmafs.jpg

    dang i would rather swim with the snakes then that thing [:0][:D]
  • chollagardenschollagardens Member Posts: 4,614 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Depends on the species, size of the snake, size of the fish and time of year. Right now if the fish are the right size for the snakes and the snakes eat fish then about 3-5 per week would be a good estimate. If you are over stocked then the snakes could be benefitual. If you are not over stocked then it is time to contol the number of snakes for a while. Turtles can also be a problem. I will be in E Texas/W. Louisiana area early August. If there are no legal problems and there are enough snakes and turtles I would catch and haul them off for you.
  • CubsloverCubslover Member Posts: 18,601 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by tazzer
    quote:Originally posted by jma2006
    quote:Originally posted by tazzer
    quote:Originally posted by jma2006
    You caught 2 snake fish?

    no they are snakes that eat fish we call them fish snakes here in east texas [:D][:D]


    Oh, I was thinking about those Snakehead Fish.

    qzmafs.jpg

    dang i would rather swim with the snakes then that thing [:0][:D]



    I caught 4 of them 5-6lbs in Tennessee (Reelfoot). They have teeth, are coated in slime, and fight like 12lb catfish. Killed all 4 of em. They are prehistoric fish, the heads are one huge thick bone.

    Also called a Bowfin.
    Half of the lives they tell about me aren't true.
  • tazzertazzer Member Posts: 16,837
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by chollagardens
    Depends on the species, size of the snake, size of the fish and time of year. Right now if the fish are the right size for the snakes and the snakes eat fish then about 3-5 per week would be a good estimate. If you are over stocked then the snakes could be benefitual. If you are not over stocked then it is time to contol the number of snakes for a while. Turtles can also be a problem. I will be in E Texas/W. Louisiana area early August. If there are no legal problems and there are enough snakes and turtles I would catch and haul them off for you.

    thanks chollagardens for the offer but i have only seen two so far and have caught both of them myself and released them inn the creek where we hunt,as for thee turtles they dont last long I think iv seen 1 in the past 2 weeks [}:)]
    most of the catfish are in the 1.5 5to 3lb range now but the bluegills range from 2" to hand size
    the two snakes were about 2.5 to 3' Iv seen bigger ones close to 5 or 6' and I dont wont these to get that big off my fish [:D][:D]
  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 51,593 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Personally I would not mess with them. They will eat some fish, but also bullfrogs. I think they are not likely to get out of balance with the population of fish, but I don't share the common view here that any competition is too much.

    The three to five fish estimate given by Chollagardens is probably the high end, but maybe not unrealistic, depending upon the size of the snakes and the fish.

    Chollagardens, in Texas, it is illegal for a non-resident to collect either snakes or turtles without a permit From Texas Parks and Wildlife. They can be real nasty about it.

    By the way, I would call them water snakes, the genus is Nerodia. I suspect you have the banded watersnake where you are.
  • tazzertazzer Member Posts: 16,837
    edited November -1
    thanks he dog I may leave the next one or two in it
    but its a small pond so one or two is it [:D][:D][:D]
  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,085 ******
    edited November -1
    Nerodia? What happened to Natrix?
  • kimikimi Member Posts: 44,719 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
  • chollagardenschollagardens Member Posts: 4,614 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    He Dog said ..."The three to five fish estimate given by Chollagardens is probably the high end, but maybe not unrealistic, depending upon the size of the snakes and the fish.

    Chollagardens, in Texas, it is illegal for a non-resident to collect either snakes or turtles without a permit From Texas Parks and Wildlife. They can be real nasty about it."

    The 3-5 estimate is what I figure they can eat. What they can catch and what they can eat may be considerably different. At this time of year I would suggest that tazzer walk the pond during the night with a good flashlight.

    Texas at one time had very strict laws regarding reptiles. Later they changed that to very lenient laws. Later the laws were modified, for the better I believe. I have bought Texas non resident licenses twice. One time something came up and I was unable to go, another time I did hunt/fish in Texas. It has been many years so the laws probably have changed. If they still have a non resident license I will probably buy it and try my luck on the way to Louisiana. If they don't I will try my luck in Louisiana and elsewhere.
  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 51,593 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by nunn
    Nerodia? What happened to Natrix?

    Nothing happend to natrix, it is now considered to be confined to the old world, while what you and I thought of as Natrix has been shifted to its own genus Nerodia. This happened in the '80's if memory serves. Some now consider the Natricine snakes including Nerodia to be in the family Natricinidae, while some retain the genera in Colubridae.

    Change is tough ain't it old son? I called them Natrix for 5 years myself.
  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 51,593 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by chollagardens
    He Dog said ..."The three to five fish estimate given by Chollagardens is probably the high end, but maybe not unrealistic, depending upon the size of the snakes and the fish.

    Chollagardens, in Texas, it is illegal for a non-resident to collect either snakes or turtles without a permit From Texas Parks and Wildlife. They can be real nasty about it."

    The 3-5 estimate is what I figure they can eat. What they can catch and what they can eat may be considerably different. At this time of year I would suggest that tazzer walk the pond during the night with a good flashlight.

    Texas at one time had very strict laws regarding reptiles. Later they changed that to very lenient laws. Later the laws were modified, for the better I believe. I have bought Texas non resident licenses twice. One time something came up and I was unable to go, another time I did hunt/fish in Texas. It has been many years so the laws probably have changed. If they still have a non resident license I will probably buy it and try my luck on the way to Louisiana. If they don't I will try my luck in Louisiana and elsewhere.

    CG time may well be a good point here. I have not collected there for some years because of the heavy handed regulations and the very involved permitting process (I was working with protected species. I did not know a hunting/fishing license was ever valid for other species. Getting stopped and searched by game and fish with the Boarder Patrol standing by was not that much fun, and it was happening nightly, despite my having a valid scientific collecting permit.
  • texaswildmantexaswildman Member Posts: 2,215 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    He Dog - it is common in South and west Texas for BP and TPWD to work together at night. They figure if you are out at night in those rural areas you are either poaching or running "wets". Usually if you are out at night the Warden pulls you over then the BP jumps in. Having worked with numerous wardens, it always amazes me how long they watch you before they move in. they just kind of appear....
  • He DogHe Dog Member Posts: 51,593 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yep, night after night, as if they though maybe they could intimidate me into leaving, and they could go back to sleeping in their truck.

    One also said, "a lot a these old boys that hunts snakes likes to have us on they good side, and tells us about them what's huntin' illegal."

    Right, I am 1100 miles from home and you figure I know all the poachers? Bright boys. I moved another hundred miles east and worked around Comstock and Langtry and didn't see them again. I did see some deer poachers, but I didn't tell.
  • texaswildmantexaswildman Member Posts: 2,215 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    When we were running spotlight deer census or aerial surveys we would always, always call the local wardens. 9 times out of 10 they would still come check us, even though all of them knew me. Those ol' boys out in far west texas don't have anything better to do, and it is cooler at night. Once they get their 40 hours in, they can do what ever they like the rest of the week. It has changed some, since they let them get "comp" hours. I always enjoyed going with them on patrol to see what their vantage lookout spots were. Some were really cool and you could see forever....

    Sorry Taz - didn't mean to hijack your thread[;)]
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