View Full Version : Anyone know how to catch Koi? (big goldfish)
I've got a client with a pond. The previous owner stocked it with Koi. Mostly orange or orange and white. This pond is big enough that you can't just grab them. He wants the Koi out. He doesn't care if they come out alive or dead, but thinks they might be worth $400 a fish to people who are into that sort of thing.
It's icing over right now, so I might could ice fish for them in a month or two.
Any ideas how to catch a giant goldfish?
Drain the pond till you can catch them with a net. Is the pond small enough for that?
Not even close. It's also natural, fed by a year round stream. It has trout in it, too.
Hmmm, my neighbor has some big koi that he's had for years, I'll ask him what he thinks, but his pond is captive so he may not know.
ChickNorris
11-09-2018, 13:40
Ever heard of noodling?
Not being a smarty pants... just feed it & grab it
ChickNorris
11-09-2018, 13:42
You can borrow my kayak.
I might lay down a large net, let it hang out for a day or two to settle in, then feed them over the net and pull it up when they come in for chow. Can weed out the other fish he wants to keep. I'd suggest bow hunting, but then he can't sell them.
Ever heard of noodling?
Not being a smarty pants... just feed it & grab it
Don’t think their mouth are big enough
Contact a local Koi Club and have them come rescue them.
https://www.akca.org/akca-koi-clubs/colorado/southern-colorado-koi-club/
^ Not a bad idea. Might be like bees where they have enough value that someone who knows what they are doing will show up and get them out for you. Not as fun as ice fishing though.
He tried calling the Koi club. Couldn't get them interested. Go figure.
ChickNorris
11-09-2018, 14:28
Don?t think their mouth are big enough
Maybe. Ive spent a good deal of time in fish ponds here & in Hawaii. I generically used 'noodling' but regularly catch large (ish) fish by the gills with out damaging them. Same principle but nets work too if they're not large enough. In my experience, even wild koi are predictable & can be caught with the right bait & snatch.
ChickNorris
11-09-2018, 14:37
Lmao. Nope
https://dynamitefireworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/F-m80.jpg + https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS9RlJmPI9W5JtZFUGs_-u1o0KBisVBoAo-I4kwtRBOpBGm1cpxSA = https://brightcove04pmdo-a.akamaihd.net/4221396001/4221396001_5405978641001_5405974234001-vs.jpg?pubId=4221396001&videoId=5405974234001
It?s just a carp. If you want to fish for it just see what you use to catch carp.
If I wanted them out (which I wouldn?t. Koi are cool.) I?d probably start with a cast net.
I'm gonna say catfish bait and a few neighborhood kids. Koi are goldfish like or carp like. We used to catch carp like crazy at Sterling. Not sure how to not catch the trout by accident.
You need a large net. Koi are usually beguiled by food. Once you set your net down on the bottom of the shallow part of the pond, leave it there for a day or two until they forget. Toss food on the surface in the area you want them to associate with nummies. after a couple of days like that, try using the net to capture them. You'll need a large container to transfer them to.
Koi are incredibly valuable. There may be some areas in Denver or the Springs that may be interested in helping you catch them. Is the pond owner seeking to re-home them?
Build a fish trap with some sticks or pipe and add some bait (kernels of canned corn work well) Check it multiple times a day.
Plenty of plans on the net
Alternatively a couple of people, some construction fencing a few weights and start at one end corral all fish to a smaller area and cull as needed.
Look up a fish ware, which is what wulf is talking about.
Koi = carp
Boilies, corn soaked in pineapple juice, worm on the bottom. I.e. Typical carp baits
Posts 19 to 21... is that like using a seine net?
I had kinfolk who would run a large swine between two John boats. It was all fun and games until a ten foot alligator gar got snarled up in it.
ray, my second suggestion is a seine net. The other is a fish weir, a one way type of shallow water passive live trap.
hurley842002
11-09-2018, 20:16
I had kinfolk who would run a large swine between two John boats.
I don't believe I've heard the term "kinfolk" since I moved to the metro area, and that was nearly 13 years ago.
I don't believe I've heard the term "kinfolk" since I moved to the metro area, and that was nearly 13 years ago.
That?s because people in the big city don?t have kinfolk.
hurley842002
11-10-2018, 08:10
That?s because people in the big city don?t have kinfolk.True
Feed 'em and use a large net.
rustycrusty
11-11-2018, 14:15
They bite on corn. Can be caught on a fly rod.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
While I really have no idea, fish food and nets seems like a plan.
So what I really want to know is did you get them out of the pond Tim, and how much were they really worth?
Dynamite, M-80's, grenade, or some other concussive device.
theGinsue
11-22-2018, 11:34
Late to the party, and with the pond freezing over already my solution isn't going to work, but here it is anyway in case you want to give it a shot next spring.
Koi love being fed and when food is provided they tend to group together near the source. Getting some sort of food for them and drawing them to one spot will speed up the process of capture.
While hand nets would work, depending on the number of Koi, this could be a lengthy and tedious process. I have a casting net (from my days in Biloxi, MS) I'd be happy to loan you and show you how to use. This would cover a much larger area and ostensibly capture more fish at one time. Since it's a private pond, using a casting net would be legal.
Just let me know if you'd like to give it a try - but give me time to dig out the net.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3 Copyright © 2025 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.