First let me say that I have learned SO MUCH about pond construction and management from this site over the past two years. THANKS!!!

We completed our two acre pond last April, added FHM, CNBG, BG, RES, and 200 4" CC in April 2012. We feed every day (AM 600 mostly) and the BG, CNBG, and even RES have always enjoyed the buffet. I did not see a single catfish come to the food last year. This spring we stocked another 200 CC (I know many of you will say too many CC, but we will make great use of them once we can start catching them...I'm not worried about it being too many at this point). I am seeing ten or so of this year's CC coming to the food each evening, but they rarely eat the food off the top of the water. They usually dart around under the other fish, who eat all the floating food before it has a chance to sink down to the now 8-10" CC. I have yet to see a single one of the CC from last spring at the feeder. After hours of fishing for them, I finally caught one, and it was about two pounds. We have tons of small (1-3") BG, CNBG, RES, and LMB in the pond, so last years CC should have plenty to eat, but I'm surprised they never come to the buffet. (We stocked 60 10-13" LMB this spring, and they have reproduced, making the babies mentioned above.

The questions:
1. Should I be feeding catfish feed for the CC?
2. Should I be feeding a sinking feed for the CC?
3. Any idea why last year's CC never came to the trough?
4. I'm only seeing about 10 of this year's CC at a time...is that normal?
5. I would welcome any other thoughts or comments (including the "too many CC" concerns)

Thanks again!

I'm curious what opinions/ideas come out on this, Tree Farmer. I had the impression CC are fairly easily feed trained, but my experiences have been similar to yours. Stocked them 1 and 1/2 years ago and never saw the first one come to the feed that first year. I've started seeing them taking the floating pellets this year, but only one or two at a time.

Maybe switch to feeding in the evening about a hour before dark

I feed in the evening and I see CC then. It seems as if they start out from the deeper water and work there way in like vacuum cleaners till they get to the shoreline. I bet if you would cast out a small spinner type or a hook with larger worm on it, and pull it thru the area at feeding time at a fairly good clip, you'll be surprised by catching one.

2) Enough of my floating pellets sink to keep mine happy. If they want more, they have to work for it .

3) Could have a predator got them?

4) Possibly it's a different ten each time you are seeing them.

I stocked 100 like an idiot last October and haven't seen any. I fished for two hours the other night and could not catch one. I'm wondering if my fish died during the winter or are feasting on something else.

I stocked CC in my pond for about (7) years, and not in high quantities.

I've only ever seen one, and it was caught by a friend when we were both at the pond.

I've seen pictures from other buddies who have fished my pond, but I was not there at the time.

I have never seen one come to feed at my pond.

Now, the good news.....I saw a bunch last night at my neighborhood retention pond that I stocked. I put (10) in the pond which is may 1/5 or 1/6 acre. What a joy!!! Now if I could only see the (20) YP I put in there!! Granted, I owned my main pond for at least (5) years before I knew there were YP in it.

I feed in the evening, and also one hour after dark. Still not many coming in. Predator may have gotten many of the first stocking--GBH? I still wonder why the BG and CNBG are doing amazingly well and the CC are either not doing well or they are hiding.

They are in there believe me. I too put 100 in back in Dec 2009. I have only been able to get about 25 out so far.

I am sure a few have died, but there are many left as they sneak up there to eat and any movement from man from the bank will make them roll and boy is that loud.

Update...I thought I was feeding plenty of food. I am using a moultrie feedcaster and had it set to feed six seconds at 6:00, 6:15, and 6:30, and again at 9:30 (all pm). I went to the lake two nights ago around 7 and began throwing additional handfuls of food, which were cleaned up within a minute. The small CC began showing up in significant numbers. I increased the feed times to 10 seconds each and have continued to see far more CC. All of the feed is still eaten within about five minutes of each feed time.

I also changed the feeder so it is throwing the feed to 8-10 ' deep water (it had been 4-5' deep). The CC seem to have a big preference for that deeper water.