Terra-pain new water advice

[guerrillafisher]

Last weekend was a short one for me as I was working Saturday, so at the beggining of the week I decided my usual trip a two day affair with long (50 min) uphill slog with all my kit would be more pain than pleasure for a limited time actually fishing, the solution seemed to be to try a lake I have not fished in 20 years, now this water used to be in the middle of nowhere now it is at the edge of a shopping centre, I asked about (local tackle shop and and friend s) and was told essentially don't bother, undeterred I went for a look mid week before work with my trusty rake, telescopic and a handfull of maggots after raking and feeding I saw plenty of silver's taking from the surface and a army of "tenchy" bubbles making their way to the newly raked swim (fantastic I thought!) A few casts and a couple of small Rudd later it was time for work, but my mind was made up I was fishing here on the weekend!.
Ok I had arrived Saturday evening set up and started fishing I had lots of Rudd and a couple of Roach all on the drop but if my bait made it to bottom nothing but strange bites (despite a 're-appearance of "Tenchy" bubbles)where my float would walk across the surface somewhere between a eel bite and a Tench but somehow unfamilliarthis we nt on till 2.30am and I pulled my float rod out as I was going to bed whallop my carp rod went off like a freight train and I landed this


In the morning after hours of missing odd bites I landed this little fella!
Now my question is this do terrapins blow bubbles as all the bubbles I saw didn't seem like rooting around bubbles "Carpy" but much finer "tenchy" ones and also how long can they hold their breath as once I had this on the bank I saw a lot of heads (or just one repeatedly!) Breaking the surface, has anyone got any advice on fishing a Terra-pain infested waters?

 

[greenie62]

has anyone got any advice on fishing a Terra-pain infested waters?

Yeah - do a deal with a local Pet Shop - catch as many as you can - flog them to the Pet Shop - hopefully you can clear the water of them!
Apparently the eggs need to be kept at 25C for 60days to hatch - so hopefully - if you can clear them before we have a cracking summer - they shouldn't have any offspring!

More seriously report to Natural Resources Wales / Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru
<http://naturalresourceswales.gov.uk> who have a fisheries team in Swansea and may be able to advise accordingly.

Tight lines:thumbs:

 

[guerrillafisher]

Cheers greenie, I almost googled turtle soup but ended up giving him to a terrapin enthusiast!, and I will check out your link, cheers

 

[mick b]

Cheers greenie, I almost googled turtle soup but ended up giving him to a terrapin enthusiast!, and I will check out your link, cheers

TAKE CARE......all Terrapins carry salmonella, they should never be handled without gloves, they will also bite

My advice is a hard whack with a brick or similar.....seriously!

It is known they eat fish eggs and fry and offer no advantages to any UK fishery.
As they regularly come to the surface to breath and also crawl out onto semi-submerged logs they can be dealt with using a .22 with solid nosed/match ammunition through the shell, mind you a 12 bore is just as effective......but more noisy :wh

.

 

[guerrillafisher]

TAKE CARE......all Terrapins carry salmonella, they should never be handled without gloves, they will also bite

My advice is a hard whack with a brick or similar.....seriously!

It is known they eat fish eggs and fry and offer no advantages to any UK fishery.
As they regularly come to the surface to breath and also crawl out onto semi-submerged logs they can be dealt with using a .22 with solid nosed/match ammunition through the shell, mind you a 12 bore is just as effective......but more noisy :wh

.

I don't know about starting a war with them...I have seen the comics/film's these things are ninjas and are likely to kick my ass!
On a more serious note I know they can carry salmonella (it was one of the reasons I couldn't have one as a kid) and I used liberal quantities of anti bac hand scrub before tucking in to my bankside brecky.
But if anyone has any advice on attracting and netting the blighters then let me know.

 

[mick b]

But if anyone has any advice on attracting and netting the blighters then let me know.

You can catch them in adapted fish traps but you would require consent of the owner and the EA before setting such a trap.
They actually enter the trap to eat fish already trapped inside, cannot escape and die of drowning.

If they are out of the water stalking and hand grabbing works, but if you can get that close why not use a pick-axe handle, a brick, or a landing net (yours ).

My group own our own lake and some moron dumped a few into it instead of killing them, took us half a season to do it for them but we are now free again.

Terrapins add nothing to a fishery except their highly infectious feces to the water.

 

[greenie62]

You can catch them in adapted fish traps but you would require consent of the owner and the EA before setting such a trap.

Hi Mick,
I believe the EA responsibilities in Wales have been ceded to Natural Resources Wales / Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru - whether it includes Alien species control yet has possibly not been defined!

If guerrillafisher has reported the infestation to them - I daresay they will respond fairly promptly with "nothing to do with us mate" - if appropriate - They may even pop down the road and have a look - it'll get them out of the office on a sunny day!

 

[guerrillafisher]

Well as you predicted no joy with natural resources Wales (not responsible) but have logged it with my local authority who said they would all back (i am not holding my breath!), but I have now got hold of a go-pro waterproof video camera for this weekend's fishing trip to see if they are the source of the "mysterious bubbles" and to possibly help me net them!

 

[maggot_dangler]

You can catch them in adapted fish traps but you would require consent of the owner and the EA before setting such a trap.
They actually enter the trap to eat fish already trapped inside, cannot escape and die of drowning.

If they are out of the water stalking and hand grabbing works, but if you can get that close why not use a pick-axe handle, a brick, or a landing net (yours ).

My group own our own lake and some moron dumped a few into it instead of killing them, took us half a season to do it for them but we are now free again.

Terrapins add nothing to a fishery except their highly infectious feces to the water.

Oh and do you treat carp like that, after all they are an Alien Invasive Species

 

[mick b]

Oh and do you treat carp like that, after all they are an Alien Invasive Species

Certainly not!
Whatever next......the naughty step for you!

Our lake is a pleasure fishery, but the carp seem to like it more than the other species.


BTW last year I had a beautiful 10+ common carp from a river, scale and fin perfect and like a slab of burnished gold, my photograph was said to be "like Waterlog" by an eminent angling writer and should appear in a soon to be published book.

 

[maggot_dangler]

Certainly not!
Whatever next......the naughty step for you!

Our lake is a pleasure fishery, but the carp seem to like it more than the other species.


BTW last year I had a beautiful 10+ common carp from a river, scale and fin perfect and like a slab of burnished gold, my photograph was said to be "like Waterlog" by an eminent angling writer and should appear in a soon to be published book.

Yes but pleasure fishery or not the Carp is just as invasive as the terrapin , so if you support the destruction of one why not the other .

Personally from my view Carp are extremely over rated and a dang PITA at times .. i much prefer catching silvers ..

 

[mick b]

Yes but pleasure fishery or not the Carp is just as invasive as the terrapin , so if you support the destruction of one why not the other .

Personally from my view Carp are extremely over rated and a dang PITA at times .. i much prefer catching silvers ..

I don't fish for Carp intentionally, if one comes along then so be it, I will enjoy the experience and return it from whence it came because I know its excrement doesn't carry dangerous toxins.

On the other hand Terrapins in a fishery can be a serious threat to anglers health and it is possible that the fishery management could be liable for damages if they did nothing to control introduced Terrapins and an angler became seriously ill.
We own our lake and surrounding lands through a limited company, we must be responsible for our employees and shareholders which is why we eliminated the Terrapins dumped into our lake.


.

 

[maggot_dangler]

I don't fish for Carp intentionally, if one comes along then so be it, I will enjoy the experience and return it from whence it came because I know its excrement doesn't carry dangerous toxins.

On the other hand Terrapins in a fishery can be a serious threat to anglers health and it is possible that the fishery management could be liable for damages if they did nothing to control introduced Terrapins and an angler became seriously ill.
We own our lake and surrounding lands through a limited company, we must be responsible for our employees and shareholders which is why we eliminated the Terrapins dumped into our lake.


.

Thats funnuy i used to keep terapins the same ones the red eared in my youth i have never had any infections from them made it to sixty with out problems .

I still maintain that what is good for one invasive speices is good for ALL invasive forms not just selected ones that please a few ..


Nuff said .

 

[Berber King]

There is more chance if catching salmonella from cooking some chicken! No need to kill the poor things,they didn't ask to be dumped by idiots.Plenty of rescue centres that will home them.

 

[maggot_dangler]

There is more chance if catching salmonella from cooking some chicken! No need to kill the poor things,they didn't ask to be dumped by idiots.Plenty of rescue centres that will home them.

Thanks for pointing that out i had forgotten about the rescue centres .

As you correctly state they did not ask to be dumped by dumb stupid humans some examples of which seem to lack in several key mental regions by an animal look after it dont dump it cus the interest has waned ..

PG

 

[guerrillafisher]

Couldn't agree more, as I think I all ready said the first one went to a good home where they all ready keep terrapins and this weekend's catch.....
Was bound for a similar re-homing when (i am afraid to say) he outsmarted me by presumably forcing the zip of the bag (canvas not plastic ) that I had put in the shallows open and having it away on his little toes! This guy was HUGE!
Ps none of the three calls I made to previously recommended authority's have given me an update as to any action they may be taking although only my local council said they would anyway!, cheers for all posts and advice so far.

 

[Berber King]

The big ones are the females, males are smaller with long front claws.As adults they tend to eat vegetation, but will snap up a meaty bait.With the forthcoming ninja turtle film due,many are worried about the. 90s problem starting again.

 

[alan whittington]

I have to tell you that Mick I right,they do carry salmonella which is passed through the bite,which they are keen on inflicting,i heard of an angler from Welwyn being very ill after being bitten by one,i once caught one around 14" long 6-7" wide which I foul hooked in the leg,it weighed a ton,i laid it on its back in my landing net to remove the hook and he tried repeatedly to nip me,i slid I out of the net onto the bank,still on its back,its legs and head tucked away,when I moved about 10 yards away it flipped itself over,running at speed,hit the water and continued at he same speed creating a bow wave for about 25 yards,an unusual encounter to say the least,that said im not sure i'd want to wallop one with a brick.:wh