Salt,
What size were they when you put them in?
A year ago I put in a bunch of 4-5 inchers. They weren't meant to go into the main pond, but that is a whole 'nother story.
By fall, I was regularly catching a number of 7-8 inch CC. This season I don't think I'm seeing any of them, unless they somehow grew to over 12 inches over the winter. I'm not sure if their bigger cousins ate them (I have a few older 24-30 inch CC), if the bass were somehow able to eat them, if they just died and I don't seem them, or if they are just keeping to themselves.
This year I put in a bunch of 14-18 inch CC. They feed like crazy, and I catch at least one 14-18 inch CC every time I try to get some bluegill for dinner. The females have been full of eggs for the last couple of weeks. I've had plenty of bluegill culls for eating, so I've been throwing all the CC back.
Since I don't think my 7-8 inch CC from last fall are now in excess of 12 inches and full of eggs, I'm thinking they have disappeared.
I had trout in my half-acre pond over the winter. There were somewhere between 7 and 10 that were 14-18 inches when the water warmed. As the water warmed, they have completely disappeared. I assume they died and sank. None have floated up. I can only guess that the bigger CC and maybe a snapping turtle or two have enjoyed them.
I know this isn't much of an answer, but you may not be the only one with disappearing catfish.
Ken
