Man Discovers School of Fish in Pool Months after Hurricane Sandy
OutdoorHub Reporters 04.17.13
New Jersey resident Robert Castellano had to contend with three feet of floodwater in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. His hometown of Belmar were among the hardest hit during the storm last year, and the borough is still accepting donations for relief efforts. A popular vacation destination, Belmar is frequented by many anglers for its excellent fishing opportunities. Castellano knows the perfect place to score some bait fish, he has a school of what he believes to be minnows living right in his pool.
According to the Asbury Park Press, Castellano discovered the fish alive and well when he removed the cover off his in-ground pool earlier this month. He believes that the fish hatched from eggs that were swept in during the flooding. How the fish are still alive however, he can only venture a guess.
The 12 feet wide by 20 feet long pool was completely devoid of food. In addition, Castellano winterized the pool before he covered it last September. Chlorine is hardly the most fish-friendly substance.
“They’re very quick,” he about the fish. “I don’t know what they’ve been eating, probably the algae. To survive in this water they have to have one heck of a will to live.”
Castellano began feeding his new house guests pieces of menhaden, but he doesn’t plan on keeping the fish for long. He intends to transport the minnows to a local lake.
“What’s amazing is the tenacity of these guys. It goes along with the what I see from the rest of the Jersey Shore people,’’ Castellano said. “We are still digging out and surviving.”
So far all but one of the 16 fish are still alive. The one that perished was identified as a white perch, which some states consider a nuisance species.
