fertilizer and ice fishing

[Frozenfish]

Odd question

I know of a lake that is probably 5 acres or so. It has about 15 houses on the lake. No motor boats aloud, it's pretty small. The houses all get sprayed with fertilizer and what not. I remember as a kid catching a few bass that had white growths on them. I've caught fish there the last few years and haven't seen anything lately. The lake is the middle lake of a chain of three. It's loaded with blue gill/sunfish and bass.

[mmb]

Odd question

My parents live on a lake that is probably 5 acres or so. It has about 15 houses on the lake. No motor boats aloud, it's pretty small. The houses all get sprayed with fertilizer and what not. I remember as a kid catching a few bass that had white growths on them. I've caught fish there the last few years and haven't seen anything lately. The lake is the middle lake of a chain of three. It's loaded with blue gill/sunfish and bass.

err...  what's the question?

[Master Angler]

Ah! You beat me too it.    I'm thinkin maybe the question is if the fert. causes the white growths? 

[Frozenfish]

err...  what's the question?

Excellent question, got caught up and work and just posted...  Would you eat the fish?

[Master Angler]

I've never eaten a fish with a growth on it.  Any without I would eat.  The lake I fish walleye get lots of fert. runoff from agriculture in the area, and it has a massive algae bloom in the summer, but the fish are fine, I do stick to the small ones.

[Bgreen02]

I've fished lakes in Florida off golf courses before. I was always told that those fish could not be eaten because of all the fertilizers and chemicals used to treat the grass. Those were some giant bass though because people rarely fish and they will just about eat anything you put in there. I'd still stay away from anything that a ton of fertilizers get into.

[hardH2Onut]

My question to all of you who have an opinion on what golf courses due to the environment have any actual knowledge or are you flying by the seat of your pants and listening to Paul Harvey?

I will admit that MANY years ago superintendents were uneducated and the products available were fairly  toxic.  The golf industry and times have changed. Superintendents are some the the most educated professionals working any occupation and table salt is more toxic than most of the products used on courses today.

I will admit that water and fertility is harmful; but nutrients can enter a waterbody from a number of sources.  How many homes are around the lake (antiquated septic systems, detergents, washing your car in your drive way ect.), is there industry, agriculture (grazing animals), what is the air quality and where do the surrounding roads drain.

Abnormal growths on fish can be caused by a large number of factors.

My apologies, I will get off of my soap box now.  Come on ICE!!!

[teardrop]

I work on a golf course here in Indiana. The owner prides himself on using only chemicals that are environmentally friendly, it also is a wildlife sanctuary. The time spent early in the mornings mowing greens and watching wildlife makes this the best job. Yes, I do fish the ponds and eat the fish. We do water greens and fairways, but try to keep this to a minimum. I have fished and played golf here for forty years and can't wait for the ponds to freeze to chase the big gills.    Jeff   

[Bgreen02]

The golf course I fished on the people said not to because of the fertilizers. I don't know for sure if they would have been bad but when I had people telling me not to who lived on the course I wasn't going to go around them. Especially when the guys had fished it for years before and I'm sure they had tried it. This was also some 8 or 9 years ago so maybe the stuff then was not very safe like it could be now.

[Rumrunner]

Many parasites cause white or even black growths on fish.  One pond I fished with my brother had produced black spots on the pike....

Next season the pond had more water running through it through the inlet and out.  The spots werent there.  I cant say that it was the flush of water during the summer but hey...it just might be.  I did not eat any of the pike we caught, but I only keep panfish.  Had I been a pike eater...I would have eaten it.  My brother has eaten the fish and not grown a third eye so far.

[Lobes]

Okay I know I'm only a troll, but why are these people spraying their houses with fertilizer? Are they trying to make their houses grow larger faster?

NBG

[TrekJeff]

Okay I know I'm only a troll, but why are these people spraying their houses with fertilizer? Are they trying to make their houses grow larger faster?

NBG

Is it wet or dry fertilizer?  Pure nitrogen fertilizer, such as urea, can be used. It melts ice at temperatures as low as 11 degrees F, and is best applied at temperatures between 25 and 30 degrees. Urea can be applied at a rate of 10 pounds per 100 square feet. For small areas, a mixture of 3 pounds of urea and 100 pounds of sand works well.