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Conference wahoo::fishing

Title:Fishing Notes- Archived
Notice:See note 555.1 for a keyword directory of this conference
Moderator:DONMAC::MACINTYRE
Created:Fri Feb 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Sep 20 1991
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1660
Total number of notes:20970

880.0. "My Pet Bass" by DONMAC::MACINTYRE (Fish are rising up like birds) Thu Sep 29 1988 13:47

    Does anyone else out there have a "pet" bass?
    
    Durng a tournament last weekend I caught a short that was about
    3-4" long.  (He hit a Rapala that was bigger than he was!)  I couldn't 
    resist bringing him home and dropping him in the aquarium.    
    
    So far he's eaten 5 of our former tropical fish, 7 gold fish, and
    a number of the 25 "tuffies" (a type of small feeder fish) that
    I picked up the other day.  Most of the tropical fish that are left
    are too big for him to eat, at least for the moment.  
    
    There must be someone else out there with a bass at home...
    
    Don Mac
    
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
880.1Honey Hole in the Den!WILVAX::MERRILLThu Sep 29 1988 14:2413
    I had a "pet bass" for 2 days.  This one was real small (about 2
    1/2 inches) so I didn't think he'd be a problem with my other store
    fish.  WRONG!  Morning came and I was short 2 neon tetras (pretty
    fluorescent blue and red striped fish).  I could see the fish glowing
    in the little lunkers belly. My wife made me release the bass
    immediately.  
     When the last of my tropical fish die off, I will have a totally
    naturalized tank with little kibbies, hornpout, perch, shiners,
    bass, and pickerel.  I did it before when I was a kid, and it was
    teriffic.  As long as your bass and pickerel aren't too big, they
    will all get along fine.  FYI- I have a 20 gallon high tank.
    
                                                              Bill
880.2A pet coquag maybe?AD::GIBSONLobst'a AyahThu Sep 29 1988 16:1210
    This sound like a great idea! How do you catch all the little fish,
    is there a special way to go about it?
    
    What are the requirements for keeping them healthy in the tank?
    
    I have a empty 55gal since all my tropical fish died and this sound
    like a good way to stock it.
    
                                             Walt
    
880.3Feed him to the gullsDECWET::HELSELWell....isn't that special?Thu Sep 29 1988 17:3520
    re: .0
    
    I love it!
    
    When I lived in Florida we happened to be at the beach when a hatch
    of laggerhead turtles just exploded from the beach.  Of course it
    was low tide and the seagulls were having a major fiesta.
    
    We grabbed one that came our way just as a gull was about to grab
    him.  We figured we'd take him home and let him swim around our
    saltwater tank until nightfall and then sneak him back to the ocean
    unnoticed by his predators.  Ever price salt water fish?
    
    Needless to say, we considered waiting until high noon the next
    day after he hungrily gulped down several expensive fish that we
    were sort of fond of.  I couldn't believe it.  He wasn't out of
    the egg for an our before he was able to run them down in their
    own tank!
    
    Brett.
880.4Pet Bass- No waySALEM::WENTWORTHThu Sep 29 1988 18:529
    I tried to raise a small bass a few years ago with little success.
    I put him in a 50 gallon aquarium in the house along with a
    representive sample of other warm water critters. The damn thing
    ate everything that wasn't red-hot or nailed down, they have a nasty
    disposition. When he started eyeballing the dog it was time to pull
    the plug. I have had good luck with hornpout, perch, sunnies etc.
    My wife still hasn't gotten over the time I tried raising a flying
    squirrel inside, never knew those little buggers could get thru
    such a small hole.
880.5Catchin' em!WILVAX::MERRILLFri Sep 30 1988 10:0813
    They can be caught quite easily with a fine mesh net dragged through
    the shallows, either from a boat or standing from shore (long handle).
    Tiny hornpout and newts (yum yum for bass) are taken by dragging
    net on bottom, scooping up leaves and muck as well.  Just pick through
    it and you'll find all kinds of creatures. 
    If your very patient and quick, you can actually hook all the species
    I named in note .1. Use either a tiny fly hook or size 14 with a
    small piece of worm, and you'll hook all the little fish you always
    see around the shoreline.
    
    
                      Good luck,
                             Bill
880.6What do they eat to keep 'em alive?OLDMIS::SYSTEMTue Oct 04 1988 10:3113
     Ok, now for a stupid question:
    
     Lessay, you have your fish, (hornpout, bass, bluegill), you have
    the temperature controlled... now :
    
     What do you feed the things?  Can you purchase the feed at regular
    pet stores?  Do you use "live-bait" or is their some substitute?
    
                                    Thanks,
    
                                              Perry F.
                                             ----------
    
880.7ROSBUD::LEVESQUETue Oct 04 1988 11:0417
    One thing you can do is feed them fish flesh. Keep a piece of cod
    in the freezer. take it out and cut off a small piece each day.
    Cut the smallpiece into smaller pieces and drop them into the tank.
    They should be kinda thawed by the time you drop them into the tank,
    'cause the fish aren't smart enough to wait until they thaw to eat
    them. Obviously, frozen fish in your pet's stomach won't help it
    live a long, productive life.
    
    You caould also buy them some Tetra type food. To get something
    big enough is expensive, though. 
    
    Buy them some treats like live shiners or crayfish. Don't feed them
    all at once.
    
    Good luck.
    
    The Doctah
880.8feeder fishRAINBO::MACINTYREFish are rising up like birdsTue Oct 04 1988 11:409
    Most tropical fish shops sell "feeder fish" as food for larger 
    fish eating species.  Guppies, platties, tuffies, goldfish, are
    some of the ones I've come across.  The "tuffies" seem to be the
    right size for my bass at the moment.  It's $4 for 25 of them at
    my local shop, I put 25 in last monday and I had 4 left this morning.
    
    The more you buy the cheaper they are.
    
    Don Mac
880.9Here's an idea 4 U...POBOX::VANTILBURGOnce is NEVER enough!!Tue Oct 04 1988 11:438
    My brother has kept live bass, bluegills, etc. in an aquarium and
    he's had very good luck with them.  He feeds them live gold fish,
    worms, cheese and, and I think that's all.
    
    Like I said, he's had very good luck with his.
    
    Nancy
    
880.10or keep it til it's 10#, kill it and mount itSA1794::CUZZONESIt's better to burn out ...Tue Oct 04 1988 13:3518
    Hey Don, you feed it too much and you'll have to buy a bigger aquarium!
    Not to mention having to increase the frequency of cleanings/filter
    changes!
    
    My local pet shop sells crickets.  I've always assumed they were
    to feed other pet animals.  But, you never know.  I used to think
    they only carried rats and mice as pet food for snakes.  I don't
    know what they cost but I do know that Bluegills go crazy over them.
    My 7 yr old traps them in our garage and begs me to take him fishing.
    
    You can always check your local bait shop for dead shiners.  They
    probably throw them out.
    
    BTW, when it gets too big, can I suggest where you release it?
    
    Not Monomonac .... it'd be too lonely.
    
    -SSS-
880.11MURPHY::WIERSUMThe Back Deck WizardFri Oct 07 1988 17:517
    
    
    re .8
    
    they cost $.08 at my pet shop
    
     
880.12Bass Tankin'KDCA01::CDCUP_BOURGEMETALS_MANWed Nov 23 1988 10:0228
    	Howdy,
    
    I've had both species of bass living in my 30 gallon aquarium. 
    It is very educational.  The two types don't get along very well
    and the Largemouth is the bully of the two.   I kept a few minnows
    in a seperate tank to feed them because if I put a bunch in their
    tank they would almost be gone in the morning.  When I didn't have
    any minnows, I fed them garden worms, grasshoppers, pieces of fish
    flesh and even bread on occasion.  Both fish were about 2 1/2 inches
    long when I first caught them and were released when they werebetween
    8 and 9 inches long.
    	I always found it interesting to watch the "feeding" display
    of these fish before they actually began feeding.  They would sort
    of yawn, begin to change colors and their dorsals would go erect.
    Then they would start  swimming all around the tank, looking in
    every nook and cranny for anything that moved.  It was real neat
    getting this action to happen when guests were over by holding an
    active worm in my hand up near the glass.  They would literally
    go nuts trying to get the worm out of my hands right through the
    glass.  Too bad they keep growing and have to be released because
    they are much more fun to a fisherman than a bunch of wimpy tropicals
    which I've also had as pets.  These guys are real tough and adaptable
    too.  The temperature can fluctuate quite a bit before these fine
    fish feel any discomfort.  All in all, I'd say that your average
    fisherman stands to learn a lot by keeping some "real" fish in a
    tank at home for awhile.
    
    Chow 4 now!
880.13it's a hawgRAINBO::MACINTYREFish are rising up like birdsWed Nov 23 1988 11:5316
    Your right about that 'yawning'.  That's how I know a goldfish is
    about to become history.  The bass will kinda sit there suspended,
    real still for a bit, then start opening it's mouth REAL wide and
    start flaring it's gills, appearing to be getting ready for the
    big move.
    
    My bass has grown alot in the short time I've had him.  Between
    Friday night and Tuesday morning he ate a dozen gold fish.  I'm
    considering cutting back on his food supply.  I currently drop in
    a dozen feeders at a time.  I should probably start rationing him
    to one per day, that'd probably be enough. 

    It's sure fun to watch though, specially when it's flaring those
    gills - or chomping down goldfish 8^)
    
    donmac
880.14CASV05::PRESTONBetter AI than none at allWed Nov 23 1988 12:386
    I bet the flaring of the gills is a sort of "deep breath" in
    preparation for the attack - putting some extra oxygen in the blood
    for the exertion.
    
    Ed
    
880.15open wideRAINBO::MACINTYREFish are rising up like birdsWed Nov 23 1988 13:266
    It probably also helps 'wake up' the muscles that are used for
    attacking pray.  Bass attack with mouth closed and then flare the
    gills and open the mouth to create a tremendous suction effect, and the
    bait or prey is sucked in incredibly fast.
                      
    donmac
880.16update on pet bassRAINBO::MACINTYREFish are rising up like birdsThu Dec 08 1988 13:0925
>>    Hey Don, you feed it too much and you'll have to buy a bigger aquarium!
>>    Not to mention having to increase the frequency of cleanings/filter
>>    changes!
           
    You were right Steve, last night I dropped him into his new home,
    a 29 gallon job.  He's grown to around 6" now and is doing great.
    A couple weeks ago I put a divider in the 10gal and kept him separated
    from the goldfish, he was eating me out of house and home.  I started
    rationing him 2 per day, one in the morning and one at night.  
           
    This proved to be very entertaining.  Any time I open the top lid he 
    comes up to the surface and just waits for that little sucker to hit
    the surface - or sometimes even to see it drop.  He often breaks the 
    surface during the attack.
           
    The 10 gal was just too small, especially with the divider in there.
    So now I'll keep the feeders in the 10 gal and the bass can have
    the 29 gal.  I'm already thinking about what I can put in the 29
    gal with him.  I'd like to try putting a smallmouth about his size
    in there with him, and maybe some sort of little catfish, snails,
    crayfish, etc...
           
    Fun stuff...
           
    Don Mac 
880.17And the winner is!!!CGVAX2::HAGERTYJack Hagerty KI1XFri Dec 09 1988 11:448
    Here's what you do:
    
    You set up another tourney at Monomomac. You bring YOUR lunker with
    you - but drop him into the lake. No other bass will bother him
    cause he's the only one. 
    Then you start the tourney. Only you fish - using gold fish.
    Who would know?
    
880.18re.-1RAINBO::MACINTYREFish are rising up like birdsFri Dec 09 1988 11:516
    But that's what we did last time.  HSJ was the one who gave me the idea,
    that's why we agreed to have each of our teams weigh-in `the' bass,
    and settle for the tie.                  
                       
    Don Mac - just kidding... HONEST!
    
880.19crayfish, yum!CASV05::PRESTONBetter AI than none at allFri Dec 09 1988 12:039
    � I'm already thinking about what I can put in the 29 gal with him.  
    � I'd like to try putting a smallmouth about his size in there with him, 
    � and maybe some sort of little catfish, snails, crayfish, etc...

    Sounds pretty good Don, but how long do you think the crayfish would
    last?
    
    Ed
    
880.20hopefully not too...!RAINBO::MACINTYREFish are rising up like birdsFri Dec 09 1988 13:015
    Probably not too long, but watching the bass eat is half the fun.
    I don't think I'd *buy* any crayfish for him to eat, but I'll probably
    try and stir a few up to drop in there come spring.  Right now the
    bass is not big enough to eat a good sized crayfish - but by spring
    he may be.  -donmac
880.21more pleaseGRANMA::JAMESThu Apr 13 1989 16:138
    Don,
    
    It's been over four months since we last heard anything about your
    pet bass.
    
    How about an update? Is it still alive?
    
    ja
880.22alive and wellMOSAIC::MACINTYRETerminal AnglerThu Apr 13 1989 17:2311
    Oh yes, quite alive!  He's probably around 7" now and more aggressive
    than ever.  He now breaks water almost every time he's fed.  If
    the goldfish don't fall out of the net immediately, he figures he'll
    have to go to the goldfish - so he'll come up and attack the net!
    A couple of times this has resulted in a tug-of-war.  Sometimes
    he attacks the surface so violently that water goes EVERYWHERE,
    somewhat of a pain, but I still get a kick out of it. 
                          
    Great fun!
    
    donmac
880.23VAX4::TOMASJoeFri Apr 14 1989 15:419
Hmmmm..... so it's 7" long now, huh?

Seems like its about time to teach him what a ...



						ZARA SPOOK LOOKS LIKE!!!


880.24QuestionSTOWMA::LANGEToxic Waste PinataWed May 17 1989 12:4616
    Don,
    
    How cloudy does your tank get with a gamefish in it?
    With him eating all those fish,and worms,does it get really dirty,or
    what?
    
    Reason I'm asking...My wife and I are getting a tank,and want to do as
    you have done.
    
    Maybe a little lake sucker,and a hornout would do the house cleaing
    somewhat.....some freshwater snails....maybe a little painted turtle...
    
    I got a pickerel last sunday on a spinner bait...the pic was about 5
    inches long....and I also got a bass on the same lure a little
    smaller....If we had the tank set up....we would have had a good start
    on a game fish tank.
880.25pet store fishCASV01::PRESTONBetter means to worse ends...Wed May 17 1989 12:599
    They do have "housekeeping" fish at pet stores - little catfish
    and algae eaters - that do a good job at keeping the tank clean.
    I just don't know how likely a bass or pickerel might be to eat
    one of them. I just read that Bass Pro feeds their prized 17+ lb
    bass, Ethel, nutrified goldfish hoping she'll grow to a world 
    record size of over 22lb!
    
    Ed
    
880.26STOWMA::LANGEToxic Waste PinataWed May 17 1989 13:042
    I thought Ethel was released last fall...after being on display last
    summer...I probably mistaken.
880.27CASV01::PRESTONBetter means to worse ends...Wed May 17 1989 13:084
    I thought so too, but I did just read that bit about feeding her
    the goldfish. Maybe it was an old magazine from my water closet
    library! Still, if they were trying to fatten her up, why would
    they let her go? Now I'm confused...
880.28Esox Niger make fun petsAFVAX::SYSTEMPSCAN-F-TOOUGLY, Scanned Image Too Ugly to ProcessWed May 17 1989 13:1820
    RE: - a couple
    
    We had the same idea and now have a ~8 inch pickeral and and equal
    size yellow perch in a 40L tank.  The water stays clear but watch the
    Ph!!  It'll drop real fast with pickeral waste products in it.  
    
    It is real interesting to watch the pickeral eat the feeder goldfish
    though and kinda gives you an insight as to how they feed.
    
    Also, DO NOT put any fish in the same tank that will even come close
    to fitting into the pickerals mouth or it'll be gone real quick.
    
    We did have a horned pout in there for a while, but it wasn't real
    interesting to watch, so we took him back to the lake.
    
    Good luck,
    Brian
    
    
        
880.29go for it JeffMOSAIC::MACINTYRETerminal AnglerWed May 17 1989 13:4924
                                                             
    The water stays real clean. I use both an under-gravel and external
    filter.  I don't have a power head on the undergravel filter, so I do 
    have to syphon off the bottom occasionally (once every 3-4 months).
                                                                  
    I tried putting a large (4-5") blue channel cat in there but although
    the bass could not eat it, it was hitting on it all the time, and
    the cat wouldn't come out of the corner, so I moved the cat into
    my other tank.                            
                                              
    Right now the only other fish in there is a Plecostemous (sp?),
    algae eater.  It's large (6-7") enough and mean enough looking so
    the bass doesn't seem to bother it at all.
                                           
    Anthing else that goes into the tank isn't there long enough to
    leave any waste behind.  I dropped 6 large feeder goldfish in there
    the other day and they were all gone instantly, the bass couldn't
    close even his mouth - but I bet if I had dropped a couple more
    in there they would have been gone too!
                                              
    Fun stuff!
              
    donmac          
    
880.301+1=SPAWNCASV05::FLOODWhat am I doing hereThu May 18 1989 20:2243
Hey Donmac,

Long time no talk - how has the truck cap worked out? Have you figured out 
how to modify it into a sleeper that will fit your Boat?

Back to the note - about a year ago I caught a 3" HAWG and instead of 
having him mounted, I put him into my roommates tank with a much larger 
iridescent shark and along the way added some smaller hornpout. Here is my 
experience so far.....

We had to take it out of the tank with the shark as well as discard the 
hornpout. The hornpout were filling up on the guppy feeders and the bass 
was getting very territorial with the shark. The shark was suffering from 
torn up fins/pectorals.

The 3" HAWG is about 8-9 inches now and is in his/her private tank - s/he 
gets a steady diet of MEdium shiners(2-3 inches)(2-3 per day). The 20 gal 
tank has an undergravel filter as well as an external filter, some green 
weeds, sand bottom and driftwood/rocks. You should see the amount of S**t
it leaves on the bottom. Have a seperate 15 gal tank that I keep my supply 
of shiners in for both fishing and feeding the bass.

Hey Don, I am pretty sure I got a purebreed but I am not sure of the sex. 
Have you figured out what yours is or are you waiting for spawn to tell?
If you got a male and we got a female, maybe we can work on some kind of 
breeding rights. We could sell the offspring to other Basser's so they can 
grow their own "MOUNTS". I am training mine with "PAVLOV" techniques. So 
far it comes to feed with 4 raps on the tank. Next I am going to ruin it 
for all kinds of lures except one - I am going to condition it by showing 
it all the lures in my tackle box except one. When I finally release my 23#
lunker it will refuse all lures/cranks/spinners except one. That will be 
the one I use to catch him after I knock four times on the side of the 
boat to get its' attention.

Sorry Don, I didn't know you were doing the same thing with your "pet" - 
heck if Roy Rogers can have Trigger mounted why can't we mount the bass we 
kept for pets.

Let me know if you want to breed these two together - look at all the action 
for fishing caps and think what we could make$$$$ selling grow your own 
mounts!!!!!

al
880.31MOSAIC::MACINTYRETerminal AnglerMon May 22 1989 13:2315
    The cap has worked just fine Al!
                      
    Hey, not a bad idea on the conditioning, Pablov would be proud...
                                           
    I don't know for sure what sex it is, but I think it may be female.
    It will occasionally rub it's belly against logs and stuff - just
    as I've seen documented in some videos as a thing female bass do
    prior to spawning - but who knows...... 
                                           
    Anyone out there know how to tell the sex of an 8" bass?  
    (serious comments only please 8^)      
                                           
    donmac                                 
                                           
880.321+2=3 or a matched set?CASV05::FLOODWhat am I doing hereMon May 22 1989 21:2616
>    I don't know for sure what sex it is, but I think it may be female.
>   It will occasionally rub it's belly against logs and stuff - just
>    as I've seen documented in some videos as a thing female bass do
>    prior to spawning - but who knows...... 
                                           
Don,

I increased the odds this weekend when my little nephew and his friend came 
up and fished from shore - they caught two 3-4" hawgs who are now in the 
tank with big bertha or huge harry(untill I can tall the sex). If the odds 
are good I have at least one male and female. Okay give me another few 
months and I can start selling "GROW YOUR OWN HAWGS"(this may make up for a 
delayed DEC pay review).

al               

880.33Get them in breading conditionVICKI::DODIERTue May 23 1989 09:1633
    re:31
    
    	Show it a video of dirty dancing (the guppy version of course). If
    it gets excited, it's a female. If it falls asleep, it's a male ;-)
    
    	Seriously, most egg-laying fish are very difficult, if not
    impossible, (even to the trained eye) to sex. What some professional 
    aquarist do is to put a pair into a properly set up tank and see if 
    they breed. If they don't, they exchange one and try again. You will
    notice that to buy certain exotic fish (i.e. discus), the cost goes
    up considerably for a known breeding pair. It is because they are so 
    hard to sex.

    	You probably already know this but just for ha-ha's I'll mention
    it. One of the keys to success is to set up the tank according to actual
    breeding conditions. You will have to provide suitable bedding
    material, food (very important), proper temperature and ph, and 
    appropriate amount of light. The reason I highlighted food is that 
    although the fish may survive just fine on Tetra flake food, it will 
    not get them in breeding condition. I know your feeding yours goldfish
    and/or shiners. That should be fine. Worms are also readily available
    and should work fine too.

	If after going through all this they still don't breed, threaten
    to make fish sticks out of em'. Also remember, (if you do eat them)
    that age old method passed down through the generations from grandmother 
    to mother to daughter and so on for keeping fish from smelling.
    No, it's not lemon juice..........
    
    
    	You cut their nose off ;-)
    
    		RAYJ
880.34another oneRAINBO::MACINTYRETerminal AnglerMon Jul 24 1989 14:2311
    I was out fishing the Merrimack yesterday using an ultralight, having
    fun catching smallies on a small rapala (5r) and happened to catch 
    a tiny smallmouth................ 
    
    So, I now have a little smallie (~4") in my feeder tank.  It promptly
    ate the single feeder goldfish in there.  I'm probably going to release
    the now semi-big largemouth and put the smallie into the 30 gallon tank
    sometime soon.
    
    donmac - part-time bass breeder 
    
880.35Is it a keeper?HPSTEK::HAUERMon Jul 24 1989 14:588
    
    
    Donmac...how much larger (length...est weight) did the largemouth
    	get during his/her stay at your Bass resort?
    
    Gitzit'
    
    
880.363xMOSAIC::MACINTYRETerminal AnglerMon Jul 24 1989 17:088
    gitz,
    
    it was about 3" when I got it and it's now about 9-10" - I'll weigh it
    when I release it.
    
    quite a difference...
    
    donmac
880.37Illegal???SA1794::CUZZONESHome Celulite Shopping Club for MenTue Jul 25 1989 11:1412
    Don,
    
    I don't know about the NH regs, but I wouldn't want to be caught
    in possession of a 3, 4, 9 or 10" bass here.
    
    It would be my luck to get caught releasing the 10" one.
    
    "But, Officer, I was going to put him back ..." 
     
    "Sure you were, Buddy ..."
    
    -SSS-
880.38no length limitRAINBO::MACINTYRETerminal AnglerTue Jul 25 1989 13:365
    Come one now Steve... you know me better than that...
    
    There is no minimum length for bass in NH
    
    donmac - who released the 9" 8oz largemouth last night
880.39exUPOA1::WIERSUMThe Back Deck WizardSat Aug 05 1989 11:1540
    
    
    They only die when you don't want em to!!!
    
    OK it goes like this;
    
    The night of the 8 july Quinsig Night Tourney , the time (only time) that 
    I got ahold of some poison ice at McQuales that made me appear to
    have had too much to drink....oh well that's not the story.
    
    - So RR catches this 4 1/2 inch large mouth hog.
    
    - I says, "hey toss it in the live well I want a pet BASS just like
      Don Mac".
    
    - Then we go to Mcquales.......
    
    - The evening of Wed. August 2nd Ron calls me and says "Hey, you
      remember that fish you told me to toss in the live well"?
      If you want it come and get it.  IT'S STILL ALIVE!
    
    - I bring it home and put it into a ten gallon aqarium. (my son's
      tank with only a coupla BIG gold fish in it).
    
    - The next morning I brought home 20 feeders.
    
    - That BASS must think he went to BASS heaven.
    
    - He gobbled 13 feeders in about 5 minutes.

    Interesting that that BASS lived for 25 days in tha dark with the
    oxogen in that livewell depleting by the minute.  the ph in the
    10 gallon is at 7.0, it's filtered and has plenty of aireation.
    
    I figure after all the trauma this bass has suffered, I really owe
    it to him to fatten him up to about four pounds before I put him
    on the barbi.
    
    TBDW
He's doing real well...I'll keep you posted
880.40MOSAIC::MACINTYRETerminal AnglerMon Aug 07 1989 10:165
    alright teebedubleya!
    
    fun stuff!  keep us posted!
    
    donmac - who's smallie is doing just fine also
880.41I can't wait till they're barbiable!UPOA1::WIERSUMThe Back Deck WizardMon Aug 14 1989 09:5410
    
    Ok....
    
    Now he's got a buddy.  I caught a smallie about 5" sat. night.
    they both share a 35 long.  All I need is a miniature shopping cart
    and some mini tires and I can have a REAL bass environment.
    
    I have gone through about 60 feeders in about a week.
    
    TBDW
880.42MOSAIC::MACINTYRETerminal AnglerMon Aug 14 1989 11:444
    time to setup a separate feeder tank and start rationing or you'll
    go broke....
    
    donmac
880.43TBDW health clubHPSTEK::HAUERMon Aug 14 1989 12:3911
    
    	Yo...Wizard...60 feeders a week!!!!!!  You trying to fatten those
    	babies up for Monomonac???   Are you showing them a Jane Fonda
    	video so they can do their stretching exercises?...:-)
    
    	Check that livewell!!!
    
    	Gitzit'
    
    
    
880.44Arkie ShinersTOMCAT::PRESTONKnow-whut-I-mean Vern?Thu Feb 22 1990 13:5019
    I went ice fishing last weekend, and given that it was brutally windy
    and I had no bob house (and it was too cold and I felt, yes, too wimpy,
    ok, ok...) Anyhow, I bought a bunch of arkansas shiners for bait, and
    ended up bringing them *all* home, even the one that spent a half hour
    swimming in Paugus Bay under the ice with a hook in his nose. Now
    they're comfortably ensconced in our aquarium at home, though we've lost 
    2 in the process. The other fish don't seem to mind, and I didn't have
    the heart to just flush them.
    
    I've been feeding them store-bought fish food, although I have yet to
    see tham actually eat any. I hope they are getting some nourishment
    just through miniscule food particles in the water. So far they seem to
    have stabilized and appear fine. They even scatter when I turn on the
    light.
    
    If they survive, I'll have some ready made bait for spring fishing (if
    they don't become "pets" in the meantime).
    
    Ed
880.45How is Bubba?CGVAX2::HAGERTYJack Hagerty KI1XFri Feb 23 1990 11:514
    Donmac --
    Give us an update on your pet bass. How big do you think he is?
    Hope he is still doing OK. YOu ought to try and see how he like the 
    new '90 colors/lures, etc..
880.46haven't wanted to think about itDONMAC::MACINTYRETerminal AnglerFri Feb 23 1990 12:2425
    Jack, I've been meaning to do that...  The bass is doing just fine...
    
    However, a couple weeks ago we woke up one morning and heard a strange 
    noise coming from the living room, where the tank is.          
    
    It was the filter running dry.  There was about 3" of water in the tank
    and the carpet was SOAKED.  A seam must have given out for no apparent
    reason.  What a mess.  I put the bass into the 10gal feeder tank -
    there were not any feeders in there at the moment so he did not get to
    pig-out.  30 gallons of water on the floor - although a great deal of
    it had quickly found it's way through a hole I had drilled for cable
    and into the basement where it made a nice mess.  What a diaster.  The
    fish tank was right next to the heavily loaded entertainment stand which 
    had to be broken down in order to lift up the carpet and padding -
    which we wound up drapping over sawhorses for a couple days with forced
    hot air blowing on them.
    
    Anyway, it was quite a mess and I haven't cared to look at the tank yet.
    I don't know if I'll try and fix this one or buy another.  But for now
    the bass is in the feeder tank.  Since I do not know when I'll get
    around to replacing or repairing the large tank I'm considering letting
    him go in the warm water by the power plant on the Merrimack and
    getting another one when I have the tank back up.
    
    donmac 
880.4711SRUS::LUCIAIce fishing makes your worm stiffFri Feb 23 1990 16:166
Don,

My brother manages a tropical fish store.  I can get you a good price on either 
a new or used aquarium.

Tim
880.48 ARCHER::PRESTONKnow-whut-I-mean Vern?Fri Feb 23 1990 16:454
    And remember, the bigger the aquarium, the bigger the fish grows!
    
    ...it's true!
    
880.49$7 tropical fish - who needs 'em?TOMCAT::PRESTONKnow-whut-I-mean Vern?Thu Mar 01 1990 13:4212
    Well, my shiner farm is coming along well. I lost a couple more, but
    the survivors are thriving now. At first they did not respond to the
    flake goldfish food I have been feeding them - the other fish ate it
    though. Now they attack it! It's great fun to watch! As soon as
    it hits the surface of the water they put on a show that makes Sea
    World look tame - they shoot up to the surface, nip at the food, and 
    dive back to the bottom all in one move. They keep this up till the
    food is gone. My son gets a kick out of them.
    
    Now if I can only figure out how to get them to reproduce..!
    
    Ed
880.50change the water tooOOTOOL::LAVASHSame as it ever was...Fri Mar 02 1990 13:2010
re.48

>>    And remember, the bigger the aquarium, the bigger the fish grows!
    
>>    ...it's true!
    
    Frequent water changes will cause the fish to grow bigger as well.

George

880.51Cattails for a lure, what a country!MJOSWS::OWENSjust call me BuckWed May 16 1990 13:029
    I was waiting for someone else to enter this but no one did, so...
    
    did anyone see last Sunday's "America's funniest home videos"?
    
    One segment showed a cat perched on an aquarium, looking at a canary
    cage.  In the aquarium was a largemouth bass.  As the cat peered into
    the canary cage, he was swishing his tail back and forth until finally
    the Bass charged and grabbed the cat's tail.  I thought maybe donmac
    sent this one in!
880.52it shoulda won!RANGER::MACINTYRETerminal AnglerWed May 16 1990 13:1411
    Nope, I didn't send it in, but I thought it should have won!  That was
    a nice size bass too, I haven't kept any that large.
    
    BTW, earlier this spring I released the bass I had.  I hadn't gotten
    around to repairing/replacing the large tank - and it was getting
    expensive keeping it in the feeder tank with all the goldfish...
    
    By fall I'll probably have the large tank back up and I may toss
    another one or two of this years spawn in.
    
    donmac
880.53Would have ate Dons bass!!SCARGO::HAGERTYJack Hagerty KI1XWed May 16 1990 14:576
    Now Don. Dont be breakin no laws. Remember -- just cause you lost your
    lenses, you CANT keep any fish during the spawn.
    I saw that show/segment too. Dont tell me they wont hit ANYTHING. I'm
    sure the Bass might not have realized there was a whole cat sitting on
    the edge of the tank. But if one will eat a whole baby duck, feathers,
    beak, feet, etc. It AINT TOO picky about what it feeds on.           
880.54ABACUS::TOMASJoeThu May 17 1990 09:1010
Yeah, I saw the show too and laughed my a** off!  My wife gave me a real 
funny look as I went over to our cat and looked at her tail.  "What are you 
doing?" she asked.  "Oh nothing really...just wondering how to attach a 
hook."

She warned me that the cat's tail better stay in one piece!

(it will....at the end of my line...heh...heh)

-HSJ-
880.55re.53RANGER::MACINTYRETerminal AnglerThu May 17 1990 11:207
    Now Jack, it appears I may not be the only one who lost his lenses, if
    you look back it says, 'by fall' I may keep one or two of this years
    spawn... 8^) By that time they measure a few inches and make nice size 
    'pets', and they are legal to keep...
    
    donmac 
     
880.56Cat nip for fish scentMILKWY::MLOEWEBass fishermen have stiffer rodsThu May 17 1990 13:1910
During that segment on "America's Funniest Home Videos" I told my wife that
was a bass before it hit the cat's tail.  Afterwards, she said "No wonder you
guys like to fish for bass so much".  "It just tried to eat something three
times its size".

I agree that that one should have at least been one of the finalist.  I feel 
they're selecting too many "staged" videos.
But that's another conference and note.  :^)

Mike_L