A Detailed Guide to Catching Techniques for Farmed Mandarin Fish

I. Catching Mandarin Fish with Nets

1. Catching Mandarin Fish with Gill Nets: Gill nets can be single-layered or multi-layered, but in actual production, single-layer nets are mostly used to reduce costs. When using gill nets to catch mandarin fish, the nets should be set according to different seasons and different water environments. For example, in reservoirs, nets should be set along the deeper water at the cliff-side edge of the reservoir; in lakes, nets should be set in water areas with lush aquatic plants; in spring, nets should be set in the shallow water near the shore; in winter, nets should be set in deep water areas. This way, the catch rate is relatively high.

2. Catching Mandarin Fish with Seine Nets: This is generally used at harvest time. The operation method of the seine net is similar to conventional fish harvesting methods. However, note that after pulling the first net, you should wait for a period until the pond water is calm and the mandarin fish “come out of their nests” before pulling the second net, so as to increase the catch rate. When catching mandarin fish with a seine net, movements should be quick. First pick out the mandarin fish that do not meet the standard and need to be returned to the pond, so as to avoid injuring them. In addition, the seine net used for catching mandarin fish should be made of soft material and have slightly larger mesh, so that bait fish can slip through the net without being injured.

II. Catching Mandarin Fish by Angling. In spring, summer and autumn, the seasons when mandarin fish are highly active, they can be caught with fishing rods, and ordinary fishing rods are generally sufficient. The specific operation method is: hook the small live fish through the muscle below the dorsal fin or at the tail fin. The small live fish is required to have strong vitality; crucian carp or common carp are mostly used. After the bait is set, place it in places in the pond where mandarin fish often appear, such as beside culverts, among rock crevices, or in aquatic plants, and slowly move it left and right at intervals, prompting the small live fish to keep moving in the water, so as to lure mandarin fish to come and prey, thus getting hooked and caught.

III. Catching Mandarin Fish with Flower Baskets. During the reproductive season, mandarin fish like to enter places with abundant grass and clear water in pairs to breed. Taking advantage of this habit, place flower baskets in shallow water areas with aquatic plants in large water bodies, and cover the flower baskets with aquatic plants, so that mandarin fish mistakenly enter the flower baskets and are caught. To prevent the flower baskets from floating up or being washed away, a stone is generally tied to each flower basket.

IV. Catching Mandarin Fish by Hand. Taking advantage of the habit of mandarin fish preferring to stay near the water's edge and gathering in nests, lower the pond water to about 50 cm, and you can go into the water with bare hands to feel for mandarin fish. At this time, mandarin fish are mostly at the junction of the pond bottom and the pond slope, so catching mandarin fish by hand is usually done along the pond edge. To prevent mandarin fish from pricking your hands, it is best to wear gloves during the operation. Remember, mandarin fish are relatively “docile” before leaving the water, but after leaving the water, their spines and thorns easily prick hands, so be very careful when handling them. The catch rate of this method can be as high as 80%.

V. Catching Mandarin Fish by Draining the Pond. To catch all the mandarin fish, the pond water must be drained shallow, and a dip net is mostly used for catching. The method is: first drain the pond water shallow, and use a long-handled dip net to scoop them out; after the pond water is completely drained, use a hand net to catch them. When catching mandarin fish by draining the pond, they should be caught and placed into clean water for temporary holding at the same time. If necessary, aeration equipment should also be installed; otherwise, the mud sticking all over the gills of the mandarin fish will cause them to die quickly from lack of oxygen. In addition, when catching by draining the pond, try to avoid high temperatures, or arrange the catching in the morning.