I know that the thread has been somewhat hijacked, but I do have some ideas on pond-to-plate catfish.
Over about a decade on this site, many have had to hear about my love/hatred view of catfish.
It all really boils down to what our good friend Bill Cody is so famous for saying "it all depends ...."
My ponds are for personal and family enjoyment, neighborhood fish frys, and to provide habitat for everything from amobea to big warm-blooded critters like deer, bear, and humans.
My friends and family love catching and eating catish. Good or bad, our main pond has a self sustaining white (not albino) catfish population. They are actually more closely related to the bullhead family, but they look a lot like channel catfish. They just don't get real big. We regularly harvest 16-20 inch white catfish. They reproduce in ponds, but predators like largemouth bass, striped bass, and even large channel cats keep them well controlled.
We've slowly gotten rid of "monster" catfish from our ponds because of all the problems they brought to our ponds.
That doesn't mean others shouldn't be discouraged from such experiences.
