Just an update ...
When I ran out of energy late yesterday afternoon, I took my ultralight rod and some worms to the main pond in hopes of getting some bluegill for dinner. This is the pond where I let the 5-7 inch CC out of the cage last May because so many had sores that I expect were caused by them stabbing each other in the cage.
Our pond water is now in the low 50s, so all of the fish have become pretty lethargic. I turned the feeders off two weeks ago when the water dropped below 60 degrees.
This time of year I use tiny foam strike indicators, like for ice fishing or fly fishing, with worms on a hook. I do this because the fish have such light bites. After getting several small bluegill and several small bass, something grabbed the hook and stripped a bunch of line. It was a very fat 15 inch CC. Based on its size, it would have been one of the 5-7 inchers that I let go from the cage last May. It will be Monday evening's dinner.
So, not only did the released CC survive, they grew substantially. Over the summer I observed a lot of them when the feeder went off.
This particular CC was just the opposite of the starved bass photos we frequently see. This thing had a very small head compared to its big body. It could have been a pro catfish wrestler.
It also still had lots of spots on its silvery sides. It was as pretty as a rainbow trout.
Since this pond is primarily managed for big bluegill and medium sized channel cats (18-30 inches), I'm not too surprised. As far as I can tell, I don't have enough big bass to swallow a 4-5 inch CC. I've got big marauding schools of small skinny bass that are 6-12 inches. I don't believe they could successfully swallow a 4-5 inch CC -- but they keep the bluegill in check, and any recruitment from the catfish.
I just don't know what the bigger CC are doing. I took out about a dozen 24-30 inch CC between mid-August and mid-September. There are still at least a half dozen that size, or bigger, that need to come out.
Lastly, two other fish also stripped line off my ultralight. Both were 11-inch bluegill, one female, and one male. They are in a cage at the end of the dock so that I can get photos of them later in the week.
Now it is time to get some game cameras hung from trees. Our county has a special two-day antlerless deer season next Friday and Saturday to help thin the herds, because we have CWD in this area. These are, by far, my favorite deer for the freezer. Most dress out at 60-70 lbs, and provide the best pastrami, roasts, chops, and snacks imaginable.
Ken
