Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Time for Serious Fishing

OK... My big pond was built in 2003. Stocked with Fathead Minnows, LMB, Bluegill, Redear, and Channel Cats based upon 9 acres when was actually closer to 18. Added probably 150 or so HSB between 1 and 3 pounds each last year. Had green sunfish and bullheads get into the pond somehow right off the bat. We haven't really fished it much or kept many fish ever. The fish we have caught have all seemed fat and healthy. Went fishing earlier this year and caught one really nice looking HSB, several LMBs (including one LMB aorund 4 pounds that looked thin) and two catfish. One bullhead (had hoped would be gone by now) took a bluegill jig. One channel cat (9 pounds or so) took a spinnerbait. Time (probably way past time) to do some really serious fishing. Have purchased three trotlines with circle hooks. Hope to remove virtually all the catfish and have a whole lot of fish fries this year. Hope not to catch any of the HSB on trotlines. Going to start removing virtually all of the smaller LMB bass also (have already started pitching some up on bank; but will start filleting). Although we stocked several thousand, it seems we very rarely catch bluegill.

Any preferred trotline bait for catfish?

Any good books or videos on cleaning catfish?

Any recommendations for good fish fryers / recipes?

Any other observations or recommendations?

cut bait, smelt, crawdads. All three will call in cats but you may pick up some straglers too, especially with the egg or gut part of the cut bait.

Good luck on the rest and plaese post a pick of your success.

cut up hot dogs, shrimp, and what was mentioned before. Do you have any feeders on the lake? If so, something that immitates the food smell should work well.

As you alluded to, it would be awful to hook a HSB on your trotline. For this reason, I would look for baits that the CC would take, but HSB would not. Something like cutbait, liver, hot dogs, etc. might do the trick. Not sure if HSB would go for any of those meals.

As far as tutorials for cleaning catfish, I'd suggest just hit up YouTube. Plenty of videos to choose from there.

set up a feeder a couple weeks ago.

I don't know of anything that a CC would bite on a trotline that a HSB would be adverse to.

I second YouTube. Some awesome fish cleaning videos... I useva method I found on there for doing almost all my trout now.