I started wanting to stock some ponds on my ranch last year but never got around to it. I finally ordered some fish this year to put in our biggest pong. The pond is a little over and acre in size and according to a pond size calculator a little over 5 acre feet of water.
I ordered 200 bg fingerlings, 200 channel cats 8"-12" long
2000 fhm, and 10 grass carp. My goal is to purchase bass next year to stock once the bg's have grown some. This pond is just for fun to fish, let the family fish etc.
My question is if I add some bigger catfish will they eat the bg's before they have a chance to grow? I'm thinking off adding maybe ten big catfish to my order to have something big to try and catch this year?
ColoCowboy
As many here on the forum know, I have a real love/hate relationship with Channel Cats (AKA CC).
I would say that you may have planted an unbalanced supply of fish in the pond described above.
Two hundred channel catfish is one heck of a lot for a 1-acre/5-acre-foot pond.
Ten grass carp in that size pond, unless it was really overrun with weeds also seems like a lot.
Two hundred fingerling bluegill seems pretty low.
The number of fathead minnows seems OK.
Let's start with the catfish. Maybe I missed it, but I don't think I saw anything about a feeding program. Those catfish are going to need food -- probably your fathead minnows and bluegill -- and their offspring.
You are in about a similar weather area to mine. My catfish will at least double in length and add a lot of weight annually, if fed. I feed mine with floating fish feed. If they don't have that, they will be eating anything else they can find in the pond.
I put in about twenty-five 4-5 inch channel cats each year. Based on empirical data, I assume that about 70-75% make it through the first year. That loss drops slightly until harvesting. By harvest in the third season, I expect to harvest at least 10-15 fish each year that are in the 22-30+ inch range.
That is still a lot of fish poundage to take out each season for parties and dinner. Plus, I'm also taking out bluegill, hybrid bluegill, crappie (not recommended for stocking), redear sunfish, hybrid striped bass, and largemouth bass.
Grass carp are great for keeping weeds down to a minimum. In some cases that is great. In others, it may not be so good. I don't want any weeds or structure in my put-and-take pond. But, I do want places for my small bass and bluegill to hide in my other pond.
I'd like others to pipe in about the bluegill and bass numbers. But, it seems to me like you probably should get a few more bluegill yet this season before you add fingerling bass next year. Those bass are going to need a lot to eat.
Please ask a lot of questions.
Regards,
Ken
