Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding Feeding catfish!!

OK Its been a while since I have been on here...Whats up with everyone...I stocked 300 Blue cats and 300 Channel cats back in summer 2004 I have been ffeeding off and on most of the past summers.

I have mostly fed them Cheap $18.00 Tractor supply catfish food

Several things, The Bluecats don't seem to be growing as big as the channels. As of today the Blues are about 14 to 16 inches long that to me is too small after 5 years. The channels ar upto 21 inches as the biggest ones. Still to me the channels should be bigger too! They should be well over 10lbs now...Maybe they are and not comeing to the feed....
Can anyone throw some ideas or light on this??

Do Cats "Grow Out" of eating the feed? I seem to remember larger ones last year eating the feed..I'm confused...
I am thinking of stocking threadfin shad next year...would this help? I have Larg Mouth bass as well.
Please any ideas would help.

It may be the "on and off" feeding schedule. CC that I stocked last Spring at 6"-9" are 18" or so now.

I noticed that my CC tend to feed more a "set times" instead of the GSF and other species which will come up to eat whenever I throw out feed by hand.

Big Pond, my CC went from 6 inches to 6-8 pounds in 4 years in middle Ga

I agree with esshup about the "on and off" feeding schedule. The CC that I stocked last spring were 4"-6" and are now 16"-18" with a couple right at 20". I feed purina game fish chow daily from spring through fall.

Welcome to the forum, jjr0419! Glad you joined in. Sounds like some great results you've achieved. Got any pics of your pond/fish you can share with us? We love pics! Tell us a bit about your pond and what you're doing from a management perspective. Might be a good idea to start a new thread so we don't hijack this one and also so it gets noticed more easily. Again, welcome! Please continue to post and be involved!

Thanks. I do plan to continue to be involved with the forum. I'll try to post some pics with details about the pond soon.

Looking forward to them!

Can someone tell me if there is much difference in the Farm Supply feed and say Aqua Max or other commercial feed?

What should one look for when considering a feed?

What should one be aware of to stay away from that may cause more harm than good.

Please let me know.

Thanks

Yes, there is typically a large difference in the off-the-shelf feeds and products like Aquamax or those made by Cargill/Burris (the only other that I have experience with). Protein content, what the protein is from, etc. are all normally much better with higher end foods. That's very important for growth. However, for cats, I don't think it's significant from my reading here as they're going to be happy and eat pretty much anything that is put before them. I don't have cats in my ponds, but know some who do and they don't feed the higher quality foods and still get big fish. I'm sure some probably do prefer to feed the better quality feed to their cats, but it's likely more of a personal preference that also considers how much your wallet can tolerate to an extent.

Welcome back Big Pond. Let's just crunch some numbers quickly(it's an engineering thang)
Let's say 500 fish survived. For them to each gain 1# just on feed at 2# in=1# out, you would have had to feed 20 50# bags of feed. For them to gain 5# each, 5000# of feed(4 to 5 times that much natural diet) How many bags per year have you gone thru? What is your forage base?
Blues, as you know, like mostly live forage, but will eat dead fish, ie, cut bait and feed. 1st thought is you need to have a variety of forage and that the size changes as the fish grow. I would start some large varieties of minnows behind a blocking net so they can get a jump on reproduction thru this summer. What other predators do you have and have you sampled them by angling? I know you like LARGE blues, so you need to whittle down the numbers. Just a WAG, you have a BIG POND?

Well I only feed about a bag a week and only in the summer...it is that Tractor supply feed, But now I have switched to Game fish chow. I am going to talk to greg about getting some Tshad stocked in the lake ASAP! I think I have to wait until winter though. Right Now I am trying to pull a bunch of Bass out.

The blues are growing th slowest they are no more that 12 to 14 inches long...well maybe a little longer but they are at least 4 years old.
The pond is over 9 acre, about 9 1/2 acres really.
Well the pond is 9.3 acres

BP, I know the blues grow slower but yes lots to do with lack of feeding over the last several years as BM points out (agree with you again, scary). I know now your excited to have a full lake we need to get you some working feeders. Everything is about budget these days but without feeding regular especially when talking cats you will have slower growth. Channels right now at that size are comepting with the smaller bass for food they have about the same size mouth.

Shad avail next April right when ready to spawn.

Well man I might be yelling wolf too soon...I went fishing with my 5 year old today..Here is what went down.

The good new first...I couagt only 2 channels this time. I was UNDER exadratring on the size..I measured these two fis and the longest was 26 inches!! I would dare say thater some that are close to 30 inches...26 inches is average. From looking at him in the water he the avrage of what comes to the feeder..

The Feeder is what is very un realiable incosistant. I normally I have the feeder set at two times for 10 seconds...In the Morning and in the afternoon at 5:00PM..Well for some reason the 5:00PM time got set to off for no reason. I think this is some what the problem.

I dare say these catfish have gotten plain ol HARD to catch PERIOD. Yes over the yers we have fished closer and closer to the feeders. They seem to just get smarter and smarter. Then when the DO get hooked 60% of the time they bust the line or, they just get off the hook some how...I sware I have never had a fish set on the hook for as long as I have had they just get off or let it go. Its crazy. Like I said these fish are just plain ole tough to catch.

My Biggest fear is I think someone is fishing me out...Not sure what to do..
Well in all I tell GOD thankyo for having my lake full, but the fishing is terrible...The hunters that least the land seem to do pretty good with the bass fishing and they catch around 10 to 20 at a time...But I don't know we need to do something..

I have gotten off the tractor supply feed that I use to use so often and Mix between aqumax 600 and Gamefish chow...The Aquamax is so expensive...
I don't know the Bass is a whole nother issue..It's going to take some work to get them to grow..I think the Tshad will help a ton! I wish like so badly that I stock Tshad from the start, dummy me..

BP, if you got lots of catfish eating I would not spend the money on aquamax. If the pond is getting lots of fishing pressure then that might explain the low catch rates.

What are a few good options for Catfish food?

Is there also a food out there that my HBG and CC can both eat?

Purina is my only option, either 500, 600, a mixture of the two or GameFish Chow.

scott thinks have come full circle. I still have to convince folks wanting to grow hsb, trout, and big bluegill to use aquamax or similiar. Itis better though and know many realize the importance of this better quality feed for those species. However for catfish no reason to pay the extra money. They will grow jsut fine on 32% protein feed. Luckily I do not see the old 28% protein much these days.

Greg:

I agree if just feeding CC, but in my pond, I'm also feeding RBT, LMB, BG, and whatever else wants to eat the pellets. I noticed a big increase in fish feeding activity and a lesser, but still noticeable difference in growth rates on the higher protein food.

Yes we agree then thought you were recommending 500 or 600 for his cats so wanted him to know not what I would recommend. thanks

They can both eat many of the commercial fish foods available. I would suggest GFC as it is high enough in protein for the HBG and is good for CC but not as expensive as AM. Plus the pellets are in different sizes so big and little fish can both feed more efficiently. The big difference in catfish food and food for gamefish (BG , HSB , LMB etc) is the source of the protein. Grazers and CC can use plant based protein well but gamefish not nearly as well. Gamefish need fish based protein (fish meal or oil) as a major protein source.