Couple of questions...

I recently stocked some small CC (4"-6" in size) and I'm trying to find out at what age/size they will begin to spawn?

That leads me to my second question... I know CC have trouble spawning in a pond unless they have a place to do so.

I already have a couple of buckets in the pond, but I was thinking about building a "spawning rig" like the one below.

Basically a weighted down rig consisting of rows of large, plastic coffee cans. What do y'all think?

This is from reading only. No practical experience. Old 10 gallon milk/cream cans were reported to be excellent spawning cavities, or I would assume something of similar size with similar opening, with opening facing bank.

Now the experts can give you the real scoop. Think I read the above in an old state publication. Since the idea of the cavity nest is for spawning protection, I would think spreading them out single would be better. In nature, they would use cavities under sunken logs or bank cutout cliffs. They are not colony spawners

Okay, I wasn't sure if the coffee cans would be big enough. I thought about doing the same thing with 5 gallon buckets, but you bring up a good point. I wasn't aware if there would be an issue with them being so close together. The two buckets I have in the pond now are a good 20 feet apart.

My friend has had good success with sunken tractor tires as spawning locations. With as cheap as CC fingerlings are and the risk of CC over reproduction, depending on goals, encouraging CC reproduction may not be the best plan though...

CC's can spawn in a pond but will rarely survive predation. They school and swim fairly slowly. This make them easy to pick off by everything in the pond.

CC dont usually spawn until they are 2.5-3 years old and that means they are probably 4-6 lbs. 5gallon buckets are too small, think more like 55 gallon blue barrels.

SRAC has lots of articles on raising, breading and managing fish. While it's written more for the commercial grower lots of information a hobbyist can glean
https://srac.tamu.edu/index.cfm/event/getFactSheet/whichfactsheet/153/

Thanks for the info guys.

So you think it would be wiser in a 1/4 acre pond to discourage spawning and control the population with harvesting and restocking instead?

Edit,

Not sure its the same in a pond as a lake, but in my local lake if they can fit in it, they will spawn in it. I hand grab catfish in mostly water heater tanks. I have caught 50# fish in a 40gal tank. There tails would be hanging out, they couldnt even turn around in the tank. I would do like Snrub suggested though and put them all on bottom rather than stacked. Also, this only goes for Blue's or Flatheads. I have never caught a CC in a tank by hand.

Yes.

Roger that.