Big Gold Fish

[Big D]

http://now.msn.com/mike-martin-michigan ... t-goldfish

This is why you flush them: Fisherman catches massive goldfish
At first, Mike Martin thought he'd hooked a perch. But when he reeled in his 3-pound catch, he realized that he'd caught a massive goldfish. The longtime fisherman, who pulled the 15-inch fish from Michigan's Lake St. Clair, believes that someone had evicted a pet from its bowl. "Everybody wants to just dump them off … and let them be free, and this is what they turn into," he said. Martin said the Department of Natural Resources hasn't gotten back to him yet about whether there's an existing state record for "Biggest Goldfish." Until then, he knows exactly what he'll do with his uncommon catch. "He's going to go on the wall," Martin admitted.

[Amx]

Don't flush them, feed them to the neighbor's cat.

[Dan Boone]

I saw that too. Anyone know if they're capable of spawning in the wild?

[Steelheadin360]

I heard of a lake some where that had a spawning population of gold fish and if I remember right its in washington... does anyone remeber this? we used gold for bait in montana in a few of the small lakes. The big crappie love um!

[Amx]

Years ago there was a population in Wilderness. One reason why they poisoned the lake years ago.

[BentRod]

As a kid I had a friend who lived near Canyon Lakes golf course in Kennewick. We used to go fish in a couple of the lakes on the course and we'd catch massive gold fish and carp with our trout rods. They all looked the same except the gold fish were that brilliant orange color whereas the carp (as I was familiar with then) were the dull bronze color. Looking back, I believe they were probably Koi that someone had dumped in there that maybe bred with the carp (??). Anyhow, we were kids and it was cool. We never kept them, just had fun C&Ring. Surprising that we never heard any complaints out of the golfers or staff. When the golfers would come through, we'd just duck and cover and they'd play through. Some were even really interested to see what we were catching. Of course we were only nine or ten years old at the time and also very respectful to the golfers who were playing. Ah, good memories. Doubt they'd let you get away with that now.

[natetreat]

They're in Green Lake. You can see them schooling with the carp. They stick out like a sore thumb, bright gold, and they're bigger than that one there. I caught one a long time ago in Borst Pond in Centralia when I was a child. You'd be surprised at what people flush. There was a crocodile in Pizza Hut Lake in Centralia that chased us down one night.

[racfish]

Ive seen em in Green Lake. They are of the carp family. I wouls suspect they have nice white meat. My Pirahnas loved them.In Green Lake I saw real big ones in the 1-3 lb range.I bet there are guppies and alot of aquarium fish there.

[TroutSnipr]

As a kid I had a friend who lived near Canyon Lakes golf course in Kennewick. We used to go fish in a couple of the lakes on the course and we'd catch massive gold fish and carp with our trout rods. They all looked the same except the gold fish were that brilliant orange color whereas the carp (as I was familiar with then) were the dull bronze color. Looking back, I believe they were probably Koi that someone had dumped in there that maybe bred with the carp (??). Anyhow, we were kids and it was cool. We never kept them, just had fun C&Ring. Surprising that we never heard any complaints out of the golfers or staff. When the golfers would come through, we'd just duck and cover and they'd play through. Some were even really interested to see what we were catching. Of course we were only nine or ten years old at the time and also very respectful to the golfers who were playing. Ah, good memories. Doubt they'd let you get away with that now.

I had friends who lived on one of the fairways (couldn't tell you which one as it's been nearly 20 years now), and we used to go over and sneak out onto the course at night and do some fishing. Caught some decent bass, and the carp were pretty big(I imagine they are huge by now), but we about sh*t ourselves the first time we pulled one of those bright orange goldfish out of there. They definitely weren't Koi as the ones we caught were definitely round and pudgy instead of a more torpedo-ish koi shape. No one ever believed us either when we told them there were goldfish bigger than crappies in there.

[jd39]

I've seen a couple in Angle Lake in SeaTac. They weren't very big though, could have been young or recently released. Hope they don't get out of control, they're a dirty fish and put out a lot of waste (at least that's what my Petco training taught me back in the day, could of just been a ploy to get us recommending a filtration systems to customers, never verified the accuracy of that information). Could imagine them having a negative impact on smaller lakes if they get overpopulated though. If I did catch one it'd probably become bird food.

[gonnahookit]

Goldfish are coldwater fish, but are also able to survive warmer temps well into the 80's or 90's for short periods of time. They are pretty durable all things considered, and yes, they do put out a lot of waste. I used to have aquariums and used them for feeders for a few different kinds of fish I kept, and the 20 gallon tank I had them in would need to be cleaned out every few days, even with a good filtration system.

Saw them in Green Lake also, back in the day, but never saw one that big.

[arniejl]

Never seen a gold fish in a lake around here but I see Koi in Spanaway. There are some orange ones and some white ones. Don't think that they would bite, or if so, I do not know what they would bite on.

[fear_no_fish]

6 or 7 years ago i would see some little ones in lake stevens and i believe 3 years back i saw one swimming that was about a 5lber. My friends damn near shat themselves when they saw it, i just wondered how i could catch it...

[obryan214]

snake lake in tacoma has had them for decades. can't fish that lake anymore but my dad was able to as a kid. they were in carney lake in kitsap county but haven't seen one there in atleast 20 years.
used to fish for them in a friends parents goldfish pond when the parents were home. they had a couple atleast a pound or so. they hit size 00 mepps aglias in gold.

[tnj8222]

I have seen several caught off the dock on lake finwick. Usually about 1 pound or less.

[TroutSnipr]

Back in the day on the Eastside, the ones we caught readily hit a nightcrawler under a bobber, or the brown 'hatchery formula' PowerBait pellets for trout.

[TroutSnipr]

http://xfinity.comcast.net/video/mutant ... 9008579827" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Beware the goldfish are on the move!

[natetreat]

They like nightcrawlers and carp bait. I've caught them while fishing corn on the bottom for carp. They're basically just an Asian carp. I don't know if they'd be good eating, but they fight like a carp.

[Dan Boone]

They're basically just an Asian carp. I don't know if they'd be good eating, but they fight like a carp.

Don't count on me to be the first to find out!

[natetreat]

Hahahahaha, yea, you know they say it's good in soup! I killed one once to find out, but they smell so nasty I stopped by the dumpster before I got home.