My 13 acre pond was built in 1959 and stocked by the state. I have subsequently restocked redear and have added coppernose. In the 12 years I have owned the pond, only a single "mud cat" has been caught. No other trash fish have been found in the pond. There are numerous other ponds and year-round creeks within a several mile radius. In this natural experiment, the many birds which visit seem to have brought no eggs on their bodies or legs. The spillway carries water about 6 months in most years, but there is a 3 ft. vertical waterfall not far below the pond, so I suppose we have been protected by that. I can't explain a single catfish unless a "helpful" young trespasser left it.
I think human intervention is a reasonable explanation for infestation of land-locked ponds. On the other hand, perhaps the most obvious possibility is the best one. Maybe Elvis never left the building. Here are two excerpts from internet sites:
http://www.noble.org/ag/Wildlife/Bullheads/ If you use draining to remove bullheads, leave the pond dry for six weeks because bullheads can survive in wet pond sediments for a while after surface water is removed. The best month to drain a pond is July. If water puddles remain in the pond after draining, they should be rotenoned.
http://www.waterknowledge.colostate.edu/greensun.htm The green sunfish is tolerant of drought conditions and is one of the last species remaining in residual pools of intermittent streams.
Is is possible that a mud-puddle remained during the week your pond was dry? This would explain the size of the fish you are finding.
Lou
