Author Topic: Bait fish for fertilizer  (Read 567 times)

Timbogrow

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Bait fish for fertilizer
« on: May 21, 2023, 01:36:04 PM »
So while I was doing some fishing this morning I wondered if cast netting a bunch of small bait fish, rinsing the salts off them and then burying them about 1' under the soil would be a good idea or a bad idea. Only the trees in-ground. Anyone done this before?

Orkine

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Re: Bait fish for fertilizer
« Reply #1 on: May 21, 2023, 02:23:26 PM »
Burying fish under plants is a good idea.  Your challenge is making sure the fish is buried deep enough to ensure racoons and other critters don't dig them up.  I would imagine a foot should be good enough.

Timbogrow

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Re: Bait fish for fertilizer
« Reply #2 on: May 21, 2023, 03:16:47 PM »
Thanks Orkine!I thought about the coons having a feast also. Maybe if I use my wife's brand new blender and make the trees some fish smoothies they won't be able to dig up the goods. Lol I'll have to go net some and give it a go next weekend. Maybe a mortar paddle mixer on a drill in a bucket would help smoothie them up.

Calusa

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Re: Bait fish for fertilizer
« Reply #3 on: May 21, 2023, 03:45:00 PM »
Thanks Orkine!I thought about the coons having a feast also. Maybe if I use my wife's brand new blender and make the trees some fish smoothies they won't be able to dig up the goods. Lol I'll have to go net some and give it a go next weekend. Maybe a mortar paddle mixer on a drill in a bucket would help smoothie them up.

No need to blend them - just dig a hole and dump them in adjacent to the roots. Excellent fertilizer that you will soon see the results from.

fruitnoob

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Re: Bait fish for fertilizer
« Reply #4 on: May 21, 2023, 04:27:03 PM »
So while I was doing some fishing this morning I wondered if cast netting a bunch of small bait fish, rinsing the salts off them and then burying them about 1' under the soil would be a good idea or a bad idea. Only the trees in-ground. Anyone done this before?

Last year, I buried 3 fish heads near a Pim Seng Mun mango tree (i did not rinse them; just buried them right after a fisherman gave them to me. Not sure if it's a coincidence, but this tree is doing so much better than other trees of the same size bought at the same time. The PSM's trunk is much thicker, and it seems a lot healthier than other ones (Cat, Maha, Nam Doc Mai).
I buried the fish heads about 1 ft deep, filled the hole with soil, and sprinkled ground coffee on top. No sign of animal digging up.
Tom

Timbogrow

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Re: Bait fish for fertilizer
« Reply #5 on: May 21, 2023, 04:45:34 PM »
Awesome Calusa and fuitnoob! This is exciting. Cast netting bait is fun too! A great way to teach the kids how to throw the net and make use of what we can get fairly easily on the right day. Plus a good reason to turn off the welding machine and go fishing with the kids. I can barely wait to try now! Thanks fellas!

Seanny

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Re: Bait fish for fertilizer
« Reply #6 on: May 21, 2023, 06:38:34 PM »
You could try covering the hole with 16x16 paver.
You would know where not to dig next round.




You may not need to rinse salt off for some trees.
« Last Edit: May 21, 2023, 06:42:20 PM by Seanny »

Timbogrow

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Re: Bait fish for fertilizer
« Reply #7 on: May 21, 2023, 08:13:46 PM »
Seanny that's a good idea!  I wonder if some kind of bottomless can with lid, maybe aluminum, buried so you could just refill the hole and not have to dig each time would work the same?

Galatians522

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Re: Bait fish for fertilizer
« Reply #8 on: May 21, 2023, 10:30:42 PM »
If you are just going to use the fish for fertilizer, I would recommend plecostomus. They are an invasive freshwater fish that harms native habitat and is not really used for food by people (or even that much by other fish). As a freshwater species there is no rinsing necessary. They are easy to cast net and you would be helping the environment. It is illegal to transport them live without a permit, btw. I save wood ash to sprinkle over the fish guts that I burry. I think the charcoal and lime in the ash help absorb the smell and keep the coons from digging it up.

Timbogrow

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Re: Bait fish for fertilizer
« Reply #9 on: May 22, 2023, 11:04:20 AM »
If you are just going to use the fish for fertilizer, I would recommend plecostomus. They are an invasive freshwater fish that harms native habitat and is not really used for food by people (or even that much by other fish). As a freshwater species there is no rinsing necessary. They are easy to cast net and you would be helping the environment. It is illegal to transport them live without a permit, btw. I save wood ash to sprinkle over the fish guts that I burry. I think the charcoal and lime in the ash help absorb the smell and keep the coons from digging it up.
That's worth a try. I have a canal out back as well. It's full of hydrilla and will most likely be a mess to clean out of the net. Also I think I'll do some water samples from the canal water and compare it to the well water. I just can't stop thinking of all the runoff from the road and lawn pesticides/herbicides. So I'm hesitant on using the canal water.

John B

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Re: Bait fish for fertilizer
« Reply #10 on: May 22, 2023, 01:15:46 PM »
I used to drain my large kill bag that was full of ice/blood/scales after tuna fishing onto my lemon trees. I never needed to fertilize then and they LOVED the stuff.

palologrower

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Re: Bait fish for fertilizer
« Reply #11 on: May 22, 2023, 05:13:32 PM »
i used to shoot invasive groupers and put them in holes around the house.  i think i dug at least a foot down.

slowly over time, i saw a bulge form.  then one night, i heard this <pffffffft> sound.  then a few seconds later, dead grouper smell infiltrated the house.  so be mindful of the wind and neighbors just in case your attempts fail!

Timbogrow

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Re: Bait fish for fertilizer
« Reply #12 on: May 22, 2023, 07:58:32 PM »
i used to shoot invasive groupers and put them in holes around the house.  i think i dug at least a foot down.

slowly over time, i saw a bulge form.  then one night, i heard this <pffffffft> sound.  then a few seconds later, dead grouper smell infiltrated the house.  so be mindful of the wind and neighbors just in case your attempts fail!
I'll have to try the Jimmy Hoffa style fertilizing technique with a big fish like you palologrower baahahaha.