Pond Boss Forums FISH & FISHING Fly Fishing & Other Fish Species Speaking of not releasing CC

The word is once a CC is caught, do not release it back into the pond or you may never be able to catch it again and it grows to a size that will be a management problem.

What I am wondering about, is what to tell the other people that will be fishing my pond to do with the CC if they do not want to keep them?

Throw them on the bank for coyote food? Seems a waste. Even if they are fishing for other fish, they may catch one by accident. Some of them will clean fish and eat them, but I know some are only interested in the sport of catching and will release everything. I would not mind keeping the fish to eat myself but am not always going to be around when they catch them.

Would it be possible to make some sort of "catch holding pen" suspended off my dock that people could throw in fish they caught that they either did not want to clean or wanted to clean another day when they had more? I guess it would be kind of a "holding pen" so to speak.

I can see where I might even want such a thing for myself, as sometimes a person might only catch one or two fish and might not went to mess with cleaning them till I have more. So some sort of holding pen where they could stay up to a few days seems like it might work well, and especially for the CC which I do not want the catch and release group to put the CC back in the pond. Yet I hate to see a good fish wasted and thrown away. Maybe the next guy that comes along would be happy to take his own catch along with a few out of the holding pen and clean them all to eat. I personally would much rather clean a bunch of fish at once rather than one or two at a time.

Have other people done this or tried this, some sort of holding pen?

Sounds like a dandy idea to me.

You mean something like this? They're basically 4' square.




I caught this CC in 2010. Tagged it and released it back into the pond. I also caught another one slightly smaller in 2009, tagging and releasing it. Never have I nor anyone else caught them again..... This one was 29.5" and just shy of 15#.

Great idea for a holding pen.

Come on boys, I keep hearing about this "cant catch the CC in my pond" story.

Ain't a catfish in a pond I cant catch. Change baits and tactics, if the pond is real clear you have to use light line. Night fishing is the best time for real finicky spooked cats.

I can give anyone ideas about the best bait and tactics just ask.

outdoorlivin247 said the same thing when he came to the Seminar last year about the CC in my pond. He went home with his tail tucked between his legs.

Esshup, It does make it tougher to catch big cats in a pond that are pellet fed and fat. But I could still tell you how to get them the first day.

I'm all ears!

Use a slip sinker rig, just enough weight to cast how far you need. The catfish has to pick up the bait without feeling any sinker. Use a Diiachi type 84 circle hook. For small cats use a #1/0 hook, for whoppers like that pic use a #7/0.

Bait, depends but the best are cut herring, shad or oily fresh fish. Prepared bait like secret 7 catfish bait. Chicken livers wrapped in a bait sack or tied to the hook with elastic thread so it stays on.

Like I said cats like to feed at night. Hold onto your pole

Everything here is common fishing knowledge. Would scent control be extra critical to a previously caught cat

Esshup maybe he is not in there. Maybe a 30 pounder ate him!

When Wallace Fish Farms delivered my LMB and CC I mentioned that some people said CC could get hook shy and to not return them to the water.

He just kind of smiled and said "oh you can catch them" and did not comment any more like he did not think it was a big deal.

I don't know one way or the other, just commenting that there seems to be different opinions.

Only fishing I can remember as a kid for catfish was either for Bullheads at night in the local creek, or staying a week on the river where my brothers set trot lines and limb lines. Usually caught Flathead catfish but I think they also caught CC. Can't remember for sure though. Sometimes Gar which they were never happy about. Just remember going out late at night in a small boat checking limb lines with carbide miners lamps on their foreheads. That has been 50 years ago though.

"You mean something like this? They're basically 4' square."

Yes, thanks. I was pretty sure I remembered running across something like that in the archives but thought the new thread might get some interest so just ask about it.

Do you leave it in the water all the time or just when you want to hold some fish?

If left in the water all the time is algae getting on the mesh a problem?

What size is the mesh and is it regular fish netting or something I can get from a hardware store?

Not sure I put much effort into catfishing that day... It was either cook or fish, I cooked..


I set a couple of bank poles in areas of shallow water because I was too lazy to get in the boat.. If you set poles on the island or your inlet during runoff I bet you would be on fish..

"Never have I nor anyone else caught them again..... This one was 29.5" and just shy of 15#."

I do have one secret weapon, should I need it in years to come and I have a big fish like that in my pond. A scuba tank and a vintage Nimrod spearfishing gun. Hope it will still pump up and hold air though. Have not used it in close to 30 years. Also hope my skill has improved since I last used it.

Second thought, maybe I will stick to the hook and line.

I built a pen just like that for BG & used it for same reason w/ CC. Only problem I found with that is I had maybe 10 cats in there all 1-2 ponders and they tore themselves up after a couple of days. So I ended up cleaning them.

So you are saying a person does not want to leave too many fish in there too long.

I think BG are fine. I have 50 or so in there all winter w/out any problem. I think cats & their spiked fins run into each other.

Algae will build up on the netting, but I'll throw a couple Tilapia in the cage and I don't have to brush the algae off.

The netting is plastic, and it's available in a bunch of mesh size. I try to use the largest mesh that I can and still keep the fish in the cage. As long as I have fish in it, or need to put fish in the cage, it stays in the water.

Snrub, I'll send you a PM on the mesh.

Ok, got your message. Thanks for all the info.

Not sure where tilipia are available in my area. Maybe a pet store? Will have to do some checking. Otherwise it is mail order and the shipping gets kind of steep.

Bowfish at the feeder for the big ones

If they see movement they're gone. Even if they are feeding and you throw out more food, or a baited hook they're gone.

To target them when they're feeding, they are only feeding on floating food, and it's got to be floating there when the feeder goes off, or during the time when the pellets are hitting the water. They're that spooky.