Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Interesting way to control stunted fish

My co-worker (Mark) has a pond that is just shy of 1 acre and is over 20 years old. It had a relatively featureless bottom and was full of 3 to 4" bullheads. The pond was originally stocked with BG, LMB, and CC. The water had been muddy and catching gamefish was nearly impossible.

His solution? Mark caught a dozen flathead catfish from a local river and put them in the pond in June of 2003. The fish ranged from 4 to 12 pounds. Within months the bullhead population was extremely low and he stocked some BG (3 to4"). That winter he sunk three large trees in the pond for structure. Then in the Spring of 2004 he added LMB (4 to 6") and crappie (4 to 6").

Fast forward to Fall of 2004. The BG population was very good with large fish (7 to 10"), the LMB were in the 8 to 10" range, and the crappie were in the 7 to 9" range. He had only caught a handfull of bullheads and there were all over 8" long.

In 2005 he was catching monster BG and 12" crappie, and most of the bass were in the 2 pound range.

I don't know the exact numbers of fish he stocked, but they were well below the Iowa DNR's reccomended numbers. There were probably some BG and LMB still in the pond before he put the flathead catfish in, but I think the overpopulated bullheads were competing for forage and keeping the pond too muddy for the sight feeding gamefish.

He found one flathead that was dead after the ice went out in 2005 that was over 15 pounds.

Perhaps not the best way to renovate a fish population, but flatheads certainly worked for Mark's pond!

Is he planning on leaving the Flatheads in, or removing them? Once up to speed (and numbers), the LMB might well be able to control a reduced number of Bullheads. OTOH, the Crappie make it a little more complicated.

He plans to leave them in, but I also know how much he likes to eat a big flatty. So I am guessing the population of flatheads is down to a handful, unless in the unlikely event that they spawned.

this is one of the reasons i absolutely love this forum.

great post mr. iowanate.

I am glad it worked for him. I would not add Flathead to a pond.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management
Article: pp. 198–202

Gape:Body Size Relationship of Flathead Catfish
Joe E. Slaughter IVa,,1 and Brad Jacobsonb
a) Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, 2065 U.S. Highway 278 SE, Social Circle, Georgia 30025, USA
b) Arizona Game and Fish Department, Region IV, 9140 East 28th Street, Yuma, Arizona 85365, USA

Abstract.

The flathead catfish Pylodictis olivaris is a highly piscivorous ictalurid native to central North America whose range has been extended throughout much of the United States. With this range expansion, many populations of native fishes have experienced declines in the number of individuals due to direct predation by flathead catfish. Previous evidence suggests that flathead catfish are opportunistic feeders and may be the least gape limited of North American freshwater piscivores. To better understand the size of prey vulnerable to flathead catfish, we measured gape dimensions for individuals of various sizes to determine the maximum size prey a flathead catfish can kill based on its gape limitations. Our results show the relationship of total length to horizontal and vertical gape and the relationship of flathead catfish total length to the total lengths of ingestible-sized prey of different body shapes. Furthermore, comparisons of the body depth of three common fish species to the gape dimensions showed that no size of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, bluegill Lepomis macrochirus, or gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum would preclude predation by flathead catfish. Our results support the assumption that the flathead catfish is one of the least gape-limited piscivores.

Received: January 31, 2006; Accepted: May 4, 2007; Published Online: February 11, 2008

DOI: 10.1577/M06-033.1
North American Journal of Fisheries Management 2008;28:198–202


Not me - I have seen the results. A friend kept a 10 acre BG study pond for fisheries science teaching and research. After a few years his students reported back that their seining was resulting in fewer and fewer BG. So they drew down the lake and seined it. They were amazed to find few BG and about 12 large FH catfish from 50 to 10 lbs. The neighbor was raising his FH cats in my friends pond.

I wonder how many of the Spring '04 gamefish stockers got eaten by the flatheads.

I would agree that stocking flathead catfish isn't the best idea for many ponds for stunted fish control. But the fact that he was probably harvesting his flatheads out after a few years probably helped with the long term benefits of the BG, LMB, and crappie. And being as though bullheads are one of the favorite foods for flatties (and least desirable fish in Mark's pond) I would suspect that the bullheads became the major flathead food source for at least a few years.

I would have to agree with the flathead's huge mouth gape though. Using 10" suckers for bait in Iowa are no match for just a 15 pound flathead.

No matter what, it is a means to an end, and if you go in knowing the details, then you can plan.

Oh, so true. I probably wouldn't have chosen flatheads, but if they got the bullheads under control, they were worth the effort.

The solution, unfortunately then becomes the problem -- how to get the flatheads out.

I do believe that catfish -- channel cats -- have a lot to do with the success of my pond. They just have to be kept under control.

Ken

I am a firm believer in the concept of informed choice. That is why all the posts to links and studies - so we can learn and make informed choices. George accuses me of using the fire hose method rather than just giving my 2 cents. If you know the risks and rewards then do what you think best. If it works then as the old saying goes - if you can do it ,it ain't bragging.

If it does not work then we can always come back here and whine and complain ( that is encouraged) because as we all know - if you haven't killed a few thousand fish then you can't be a fish nut.

Ewest,Im starting my"whine and complain"list as we speak.By the time Im done and JHAP chimes in and has his say about it you'll probably want to store it in another forum to save bandwidth here.

I agree with the crappie perhaps becoming a problem. I have seen many ponds that were less than 3 acres that had stunted crappie that seem to overrun the pond. Then again, a few ponds had good numbers of large crappie...but that isn't the norm here in Iowa.

I tried talking Mark out of putting crappie in his pond, but hopefully he is taking many of them out when they reach eating size.

Eric, Im a slow learner....
If I had paid more attention to trying to drink water from your firehose I wouldn't have killed my fish -but then I wouldn't have killed a few thousand fish and became a fish nut...

I resemble that remark.

George, you are only a Rookie Fish Nut. You have only killed them once. I could tell you lots of ways to say "Well RATS. I did it again.".

George I killed a load of 3-5 inch CNBG before I even got the bill for them. It happens !

It's kinda fun starting over ........ AFTER the sick feeling in the GUT goes away ....

George you just like stocking fish don't you! Just like me and everyone else on the forum.

Naw James - I HATE stocking fish.

I enjoy researching the genetic variables of various species to become totally competent in selection of desirable traits, and rely on ewest to confirm or deny my theories of size distribution of CNBG length vs. width, caused by either genetic or environmentalist conditions, resulting in achieving maximum growth and desired characteristics, causing more research on the water to observe and record results to ascertain success, failure or major catastrophic fish kills.

Truth be known - George just likes to catch big fish he has raised. Lets see - do I know anyone else here like that - LOL.

The flatheads will be easier to corral than the crappie problem you'll have in the future. Crappies spawn like a big mouthed bluegill. They spawn earlier, thus, their young get a jump on everything else.