Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations C&R or Remove CC -- of small ones

I know the majority say to never return CC, however:

Would like to get the opinions of what you folks do with CC that you happen to catch while fishing for other types, but the CC are to small for table fare?

Thanks, Jim

That's the quandry that I had in my pond 3-5 years ago. I released them and I think that's what contributed to my hard to catch 5 lb+ CC problem now.

Anything over 10 lbs goes on the grill, the rest get tossed back in the pond.

Since replacement catfish are so inexpensive to buy I would think it would be best to not return them to the water. If you return them you will have biomass that you likely will not catch again and will need to eliminate some day.

What size are you catching that is too small for the table?

I used to throw mine back, tagged many of them, but now keep all of them if I they do not break my line.

I have so many in my pond it is crazy and upsetting.

I often put CC back in the pond. Also Most people do not think of them as the all over the water column predator they are. 6 of the fish in this pan of CC (see attached) cleaned where caught on a 2" curly tail grub (also attached) over 50' from the bank in 15' of water. My wife caught the other CC on soft cat food chunks with a bream buster next to the bank..

That looks like some real good eating there Tums...

Thanks for all the replies guys.

I would say the size was 8-10". I don't see a whole lot in one of those, and I know that everyone has a different opinion of what size is too small to keep. It hammered a little spinner when I was fishing for trout near the surface.

So, I probably should stock twice the number of CC that I plan for table fare, figuring that half will be caught and thrown away before their big enough?

Was kind of hoping to hear some "favorable results" of little ones being caught, like they may be more forgiving... or that if they are caught one way when small, then they won't know about some other method of fishing for them later in life. Fin clip them and if caught a second time they must go?

....just rambling out some ideas here.

One thing to also consider is if your CC are spawning, and if they are, and you don't want them to, can you eliminate their spawning habitat?

FNC as long as the CC are feeding on feed you can always try my old trick of super gluing fish feed to a long shank hook. I generally fish that around 1' deep or deeper. I just throw out past the feed and reel it slowly back into the feeding area with a small cork on. I have also put a lot of feed on so it would float and moved the cork way up the line. That way I could see the cork start to move when one comes up and takes the food floating.


CJ they were very good. The CC grows quick in these parts those where 3" to 4" fish delivered last Sept..

That is how my Grandpa liked them.

He called them roasting ears.

No, there are no signs of them spawning yet. These are small because I stocked 4-6" CC in Oct.

I was planning on fishing for them and harvesting when they get to the +/- 2# range. Never did I connect the dots about the fact that when I do try and catch them at that time, that I might catch small ones too....duh. And now that I realize this, do I not release them back .

They say not to but that will have to be your decision. I did the same thing, I wanted to catch them as well to make sure they made it. Some were too small to keep so I tagged and let them go. I then just made the small ones work for food which was not that bad after I got them cleaned. I figure if I keep 6 inch BG why not 10 inch CC.

Are you feeding them?

You could always stock larger ones as well to speed up the process. They grow pretty good if they have plenty to eat.

And the small ones you tagged, did you catch them all again?

I have yet to catch a tagged CC. I have caught some of the LMB though.

One of them I have caught about 4 times, the sad thing is he was transferred from another pond and must have been stunted as he has only grown about 1/2 inch.

CC can get educated pretty quickly. However, they are suckers for bluegills fished without a float.

Do you use a small sinker or just a BG and limp line?