How to Harvest Pond-Raised Fish
The science of raising fish in a pond for harvest is known as aquaculture. The harvested fish are used for bait, food and pets for other farm ponds and small flower garden fishponds. After the fish lay eggs and the tiny fish fingerlings grow into fish, it is time to harvest the fish from the pond and move them to their new ponds, or turn them into food.
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Instructions
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Drain the pond. The less water there is in the pond, the less water you will have to seine to harvest fish. Most harvesting ponds have a valve or pipe that, when opened, allows water to drain out of the pond slowly into a nearby creek or stream. Catch the water in the harvesting tanks as it drains out, if possible; this will prevent many fish from dying from the shock of changing water.
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Allow the pond to drain out slowly for a few days. Stop draining when approximately one half of the water has been removed, and you can comfortably walk in the water with only half of your body submerged.
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Start at one end of the pond with a large seine the size of the pond. With a friend's help, walk along the edge of the pond running the seine along the bottom of it.
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Lift the seine and begin removing fish from the seine with nets. Dump the fish immediately into a harvesting tank. Fish left out of water too long will die, so transferring immediately prevents many casualties.
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Drain half of the pond again until it holds approximately one fourth water. Seine the water again; most of the fish should be harvested after this second seining.
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Dip the fish out with nets and immediately place in the tank as before. Drain out the remainder of the pond's water. Stay close by to dip out fish as the pond drains completely. Transport the fish in the harvesting tanks to their intended locations.
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Tips & Warnings
Clean the drained pond for dead fish, algae and other dead animals. Most fish hatchery workers and fish farmers clean out their ponds once a year. This is easily done by draining completely during harvesting, before refilling and restocking for the pond for the coming season.
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where do I buy fish for eating ie bass.
