Hi Guys:

No shooting for me on this weekend, but...

Today I found a break, early in the morning, and went to a lake near my house and did some fishing. The bite was slow, but I was lucky enough to catch a couple of fish species that are not native to Puerto Rico.
This first picture shows a Cichlasoma Citrinellum, commercially known as Red Devil. This fish is native to Central America and grows up to 14”, it can reach a total weight of 3 ½ to 4 pounds.

The one in the picture was 11” and weighted 2 pounds.


This next fish is named Cichlasoma Managuense, commercially known as Leopard Guapote. It is native to Lake Managua, Nicaragua. It can reach up to 18” and reach a total weight of 6 pounds.

The one in the picture was 13” and weighted 3 pounds.

I caught them both using artificial lures and they were both released.

Julio

Oh ... don't tell me you had a canned tuna sandwich for lunch! hahaha.

Sounds like you had fun. Glad you got away.

Thanks for posting (here on the guitar/fishing channel) .... .

Gary

Not too tacky Gary! If my mother-in-law were around she'd say, "come over here so I can smack you!"

Julio, out of curiosity. If they're not native, why let them go? Are they everywhere and 2 won't matter?

Regardless, They sure are pretty. I always feel like it's christmas when I hook something. Even if I'm trying for something specific, never know what's coming up.

Hi Griffin,

These fish are all over and in large quantities, two won't make a difference.

Julio.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/2011 04:22PM by Julio.

Julio they are hunting Iguana in Florida and exotic snake's are destroying the everglade's fauna and are altering the ecosystem......

Hi Julio,

Hey - are either of those fish considered to be good eating? I don't know my species. You sound very knowledgable.

Do you still maintain your salt water fish tanks? I think I recall that being one of your hobbies.

They have amazing colors. Don't they.

Gary

Gary,

They are both good eating fish, especially the leopard guapote.

They both do have beautiful colors and they look more impressive when they are breeding.

No, I don't have any aquariums left. Eight years ago, when I was full into the aquarium hobby any of these fish would cost me aprox $85.00. Now all I have to do is go to the lake and do some fishing.

These are only two out of maybe 10 non native species that are living in our lakes and or rivers. All of them are considered to be exotic in the aquarium hobby.

Julio

That's OK Julio ...

I firmly believe that your money, is much better spent ... with Barnes airguns ... .... rather than fish



hahah

Gary

Around here, a few years ago ...

There was a huge flap about ... IIRC ... Snake Fish. The things were non-native. Might have been from Viet Nam ... and they ate everything. Also ... they could travel OVER LAND for a hundred yards or more. So - they'd get into ponds and such. I recall them draining complete ponds to try to get rid of them.

Aquarium stuff that had been released.

Gary

Hi Gary,

Those are Snakeheads. That fish specie present a real menace to all the fish farms that are in Florida. They have spread in some East and Central States and they will continue spreading. It's all a matter of time.


They are territorial and a very aggressive ambush predator. The giant ones might reach between 3 to 5 feet in length and weight 45 to 50 pounds. Attacks to humans had been reported.

Julio



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/2011 12:01AM by Julio.

Oh THANKS! Here it is going on midnight ... and you fill my head with stories of sea monsters that are gonna eat me! hahaha.



Sounds very nasty. I wouldn't want to hunt a thing like that ... in a submarine!

Gary

Julio,

I used to do a lot of freshwater fishing in my mis-spent youth.

Not all introduced species are harmful, are those? Are they good to eat?

I think I may do a long post on fly tying.

Lon

That would be great Lon ....

I've always wondered how you tie them together ... without pulling their wings off ....

Gary

Hi Lon:

All these non native species are competing among themselves. No they doesn't present any danger because there are no native species left.

They are good to eat, we also have the peacock bass which is great for eating.

Hey Lon we may open a Guitar/Fishing and Home Improvements forum...hehehe

The home improvements part is for Kent.

Julio

Hello Julio,

Right!

Don't forget fashion, too. Sort of a "What not to wear, at Home Depot, while listening to guitar music, and thinking about fishing!"



Gary

Looks like you had lots of fun Julio. i'll bet you can combine Barnes guns and fishing. Lets see, should we get a barrel and catch some fish to go in it.... Wait, didn't someone try shooting a spear from a Justice? All we need is a line feed attachment for you to real them back in! I think the bow fishers do it with a little Zebco closed face reel stuck on the bow handle.
Hope to see you shooting again,

Kent

Kent, I like the way that you are thinking...

I saw a Mythbusters (before they went nuts crashing classic cars) ... about a harpoon gun. The line was simply wrapped over two dowels, in parallel with the barrel, that were on a frame and about a foot to 14" apart. The thing fed a coil out a long way, just fine.

Now ... to do it right, you need a harpoon that is slide on OVER the outside of the barrel. That's the correct way to do an arrow or harpoon shooter.

Gary

Hi Gary and Kent:

The pneumatic harpoon shooter is a great idea. The only thing is that I'm a catch and release practitioner, it’s going to be hard to release them after being shot with the harpoon.

Hopefully I’ll go to the range this week and have something related to the air gun forum to post.

Gary, today arrived the new chrono. I've got homework to do...

Julio



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/2011 10:44PM by Julio.