Exotic Species for Fishing

[Loganfish]

Hello! I have a pond that is large. I go fishing in it often but I only catch bluegill, green sunfish, and largemouth bass. I’ve tried catfish catfish and carp but haven’t caught any there yet. I want to stock it with some species for fishing that’ll handle the winter. I’m in Ohio. I am currently growing out a Blue Koi for the pond and might want to add more Koi and Goldfish too. But I also would like other “exotic” cold water species to stock too. Some ideas I’m not sure will work:
Blue Mahseer
Golden Mahseer
Chinese Wels
Albino Aral Barbel (getting one soon, most likely, but wanna possibly put it in the pond in the future)
Phoenix Barbs
Alligator Gar
Yellow cheek Bambusa
Ideas that’ll probably work (includes natives):
Longnose Gar
Sterlet
Surgeon
Paddlefish Fish
Bowfin
Longear Sunfish
Flathead Catfish
Blue Catfish
Albino Channel Catfish
Tiger Musky
Northern Pike
Grass Carp
Common Carp
Golden Ofre/Ide
Rudd
Trout
Spotted Gar
Short nose Gar
Chinese Hi Fin Fin Banded Shark (have one growing out but idk if I’ll put it in the pond)
Walleye
Dojo Loach

Any cold water fish that’ll handle Ohio’s temps that are (preferably) exotic is what I’m seeking

 

[Loganfish]

BUMP!

 

[Moontanman]

Is this pond completely isolated from the ecosystem?

 

[Loganfish]

Is this pond completely isolated from the ecosystem?

As far as I’m aware of. It does lead to a “creek”. By “creek” I mean a small, small pocket of water. Isolated. I’ve been checking the area and it seems to have to connections to other water sources for the potential of new invasive species arising.

 

[Moontanman]

If there is a chance of exoitics escaping then do not put any exotics in it please!

 

[wednesday13]

As far as I’m aware of. It does lead to a “creek”. By “creek” I mean a small, small pocket of water. Isolated. I’ve been checking the area and it seems to have to connections to other water sources for the potential of new invasive species arising.

ODNR aint fun to deal with man… as i said before, stock only fish from a hatchery in ohio. Worst case scenario theyll come out, fine u and kill the pond off all together.

 

[Loganfish]

If there is a chance of exoitics escaping then do not put any exotics in it please!

I’ve been examining it very closely and doesn’t seem to be any spots for them no escape. I’m still checking to make sure.

 

[jjohnwm]

I'm not sure about your locale, but hereabouts it would be futile to "check to make sure" that a water body is isolated from the general watershed. My little backyard pond is currently surrounded by my lawn and neighbouring fields, which are high and dry. But, during many if not most spring thaws, there's standing water on that lawn that can link the pond with a normally-landlocked natural pond just to the north, and also to the large and deep drainage ditches alongside the road I live on. My pond has had natural infusions of several species of fish that reached it during these periods. I have had small carp, Mudminnows and Sticklebacks invade the pond, and the latter two species bred like gangbusters creating large populations that needed to be removed in the fall. I have also looked out my door and spotted a smallish Northern Pike rocketing across my yard and heading for the pond from the ditch (probably 150 yards distance). I was able to run him down and divert his destination from the pond to my barbecue grill...he was delicious...but if he had made it to the pond, that would have been the end of everything else in it by the end of summer.

Maybe you don't have flooding like that every year, or even most years...but can you be sure that it will never happen?

I'll save you the trouble of making excuses; no, you can't be certain. Randomly throwing exotics into a fishing pond is a bad idea. My eyebrows shot right up when I saw Grass Carp on your list; I'd bet folding money that the ODNR would be realllllly interested in that one...

 

[Loganfish]

I'm not sure about your locale, but hereabouts it would be futile to "check to make sure" that a water body is isolated from the general watershed. My little backyard pond is currently surrounded by my lawn and neighbouring fields, which are high and dry. But, during many if not most spring thaws, there's standing water on that lawn that can link the pond with a normally-landlocked natural pond just to the north, and also to the large and deep drainage ditches alongside the road I live on. My pond has had natural infusions of several species of fish that reached it during these periods. I have had small carp, Mudminnows and Sticklebacks invade the pond, and the latter two species bred like gangbusters creating large populations that needed to be removed in the fall. I have also looked out my door and spotted a smallish Northern Pike rocketing across my yard and heading for the pond from the ditch (probably 150 yards distance). I was able to run him down and divert his destination from the pond to my barbecue grill...he was delicious...but if he had made it to the pond, that would have been the end of everything else in it by the end of summer.

Maybe you don't have flooding like that every year, or even most years...but can you be sure that it will never happen?

I'll save you the trouble of making excuses; no, you can't be certain. Randomly throwing exotics into a fishing pond is a bad idea. My eyebrows shot right up when I saw Grass Carp on your list; I'd bet folding money that the ODNR would be realllllly interested in that one...

Great advice and tips and I agree. I did want to say that Grass Carp are legal in my area. Jones fish hatchery actually sells them to stock your pond and I’ve seen many ponds stocked with Grass Carp.

 

[jjohnwm]

Great advice and tips and I agree. I did want to say that Grass Carp are legal in my area. Jones fish hatchery actually sells them to stock your pond and I’ve seen many ponds stocked with Grass Carp.

I assume those must be sterile fish? Hard to believe that they would allow them to be capable of reproduction.