Access digital copies of guides and regulations publications from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
Issue link: http://digital.outdoornebraska.gov/i/605475
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . second edition • Nebraska Pond Management • 37 the stocking request or the application will be denied. If a shortage of fish should occur, the owner will be notified and placed on a waiting list for the following year. Young-of-the-year bluegills will be available during the fall and largemouth bass during the following late spring. Coldwater ponds capable of supporting trout throughout the year can be considered for an initial fall trout stocking. Owners who allow reasonable public access may also receive supplemental fingerling trout stockings. Fish can be purchased from a licensed private aquaculturist or licensed nonresident fish dealer. Ponds that are stocked with purchased fish may be exempt from fishing license requirements and harvest restrictions. Consult Nebraska's fishing regulations or contact a local conservation officer for details. A list of licensed commercial fish dealers is available from the Commission. It is advisable to consult several suppliers to see who has the best prices and the most convenient delivery schedules. Stocking Process If you are transporting fish to your pond, do not fill your container with tap water, especially if it contains chlorine or chloramines. Both can kill fish. It is best to take fresh water from your pond just before you pick up the fish. Water taken the day before may cool off significantly during the night. Water allowed to sit during the day may become too warm. Either situation can kill fish when they are transferred directly into the container. When fish are obtained from the Commission, your hauling container should have a trash bag liner and be half-filled with pond water. Upon arrival at the pick-up site, the water in your container is tempered to closely match the temperature of the water in the fish hauling tank. Fish are then added and the water oxygenated. Finally, the bag is sealed and the container is ready for the trip to the pond. A commercial supplier will often fill your container with oxygenated water when you get your fish, or he may provide fish already packaged in Styrofoam containers and/or plastic bags with water. Get the fish to the pond as quickly as possible to ensure their survival. Transportation delays can cause oxygen levels in the water to drop and water temperature to rise, resulting in stressed or even dead fish. If the water for transporting your fish wasn't taken from your pond, the water's pH, hardness, alkalinity and temperature will likely be different from that in your pond. Do not pour the fish into the pond right away. Fish must be acclimated to the changes in water chemistry first, or they can go into shock and die. This is especially important if the water temperature in your container is more than 5 degrees different from the water in your pond. Over the course of 15 to 30 minutes, mix pond water into the water in the container with the fish. Then place the container into the pond so that the fish can swim out when they are ready. Or, the hauling container can be partially submerged into the pond, allowing water to be slowly exchanged until the chemistry is similar to that of the pond. Be careful while handling the fish; any wound created may become infected with bacteria or fungi. Although the fish may swim away into the pond, they may die later from these infections. Look for a copy of the fish application in the back of this handbook. Upon arrival at the pond, gradually pour pond water around, and eventually into, the bag containing oxygenated water and fish. This "tempers" the water and increases fish survival rates.