Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Catfish issue

I have a new 3/4 acres pond. I stocked it with CNBG, RES, and fatheads last year and added 75 florida bass recently. I noticed today several schools of what has to be catfish fry. I was expecting them to get in there, but how can I have catfish spawning in less then 1 year of water, and better yet what are the implications to my pond? I also have been catching golden shiners, which I did not want. I want to raise a good mix of CNBG and bass for fun not trophy fish. Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Are you sure they are catfish and not bullheads? Can you get any pictures to post here? The experts here can tell you what you got with a good picture. Just to be sure what your dealing with

I tried to catch one but they are skittish critters. They sure look like little catfish with the whiskers. Slow swimmers just skimming the surface. I will try and get a good picture. Any one have a picture of a bullhead so I can compare what I saw? I am assuming bullheads would be okay.

The easiest way to differentiate between bullhead catfish and channel/blue catfish is the tail. Bullheads have rounded/squared tails while channel/blue catfish have forked tails. Bullheads mature much faster than channel catfish. My bet is along with the FHM, there was contamination and you also got some GSH and bullheads. Bullheads stocked last year with the FHM would be ready to spawn this year and with limited predation by newly stocked bass could become extremely prolific quickly. Don't stress over the bullheads and GSH. Once your bass begin reproducing and gain size they most likely will completely eliminate the GSH and control the bullheads. You can help by trapping bullheads and removing all bullheads caught via hook and line.

Thanks CJBS. What do you mean by trapping?

As stated above, the tail is the main indicator in determining the the difference between a bullhead (black/yellow/brown), and either a channel catfish or bluecatfish.

Bullhead:



Channel Catfish:




And here is a way to tell a channel catfish from a blue catfish:



Regards,
Ken

I bet they're bullheads...

Catfish traps are a common way to catch catfish on PRIVATE land. You can build or buy a wire mesh cage with a cylindrical entrance and either a tapered throat or a flap door on the other side. You put bait (e.g. cat food can) on one end and drop it in the water.

See this thread for some help on the catfish you are seeing.

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=23401&Number=294351#Post294351

Discovered these boys in the pond. Been using a few different methods get rid of as many as we can. Using the net in the thread and putting them in a bucket. And the preferred way of a few users such as Dave Davidson1 and Sniper, take a shotgun and shoot into each school you see.

What size were your bass?

they were just @ 2", so they aren't quite ready to help yet..sounds like it is going to be a pretty good race to see who can eat who first to me.

Well I caught two today that look like those bullheads but not near as dark as the one in the picture. Pretty fish.

1 was less than 2" and the other was 6" . I assume I have had two different spawns which is amazing in that I haven't had water but for 6 months or so. I wonder if a neighbor didn't just "do me a favor" and release some catch in there for me.

What size do these bullheads have to be to spawn? That 6" one sure didn't look like it should be spawning yet.

I would guess that they were mixed in with your fatheads. Multiple sizes would be very possible. And the neighbor stocking is also a very good possiblity. They are definitley prolific.

Where can I purchase wire traps from?

Because of this post, I took one of my old crab traps and closed one of the entrances, bent the bait holder back, and widened the other entrance. I filled the bait holder with three bluegill that I kind of sliced into cut bait.

This crab trap is made from vinyl coated wire, much like heavy-duty chicken wire. It is shaped like a lobster trap (kind of like a Quonset hut shape). Mine is about 36 inches long. I've had it for at least 30 years. I believe these are still fairly common in fishing departments of stores near crabbing areas -- like at Walmart, etc.

I'll report in the morning if anything got captured.

Regards,
Ken

Any updates on your trapping venture?

I made several minnow traps using two two liter diet dr. pepper bottles. I have caught over 300 of the bullheads, and quite a few fathead minnows. Has been good to see how healthy my fatheads are. I doubt the 300 I took out has put much of a dent into the catfish population but at least I am trying. Tried to siene but that was rather difficult.