Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Flathead catfish as predator!

I was reading the new In-Fisherman and there was a fascinating article on flathead catfish mouth gape and it's relationship to maximum prey size, that apparently ran in a recent North Americal Journal of Fisheries issue. This article would have considerable value to somebody considering stocking flatheads in their ponds. Can you possibly find the reference or abstract on that? It's good stuff.

I have read the article and emailed Rob Neumann (Fisheries Scientist and writer for In-Fishman) about the article. Are you looking for the AFS study ? I have access to that also. Is this a test ?

BTW In-Fisherman donated some nice auction items and they might send a rep to the convention. Great Guys - you guys should get the mag as it is full of great articles.

Here you go.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management
Article: pp. 198�202

Gape:Body Size Relationship of Flathead Catfish
Joe E. Slaughter IVa,,1 and Brad Jacobsonb
a) Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, 2065 U.S. Highway 278 SE, Social Circle, Georgia 30025, USA
b) Arizona Game and Fish Department, Region IV, 9140 East 28th Street, Yuma, Arizona 85365, USA

Abstract.

The flathead catfish Pylodictis olivaris is a highly piscivorous ictalurid native to central North America whose range has been extended throughout much of the United States. With this range expansion, many populations of native fishes have experienced declines in the number of individuals due to direct predation by flathead catfish. Previous evidence suggests that flathead catfish are opportunistic feeders and may be the least gape limited of North American freshwater piscivores. To better understand the size of prey vulnerable to flathead catfish, we measured gape dimensions for individuals of various sizes to determine the maximum size prey a flathead catfish can kill based on its gape limitations. Our results show the relationship of total length to horizontal and vertical gape and the relationship of flathead catfish total length to the total lengths of ingestible-sized prey of different body shapes. Furthermore, comparisons of the body depth of three common fish species to the gape dimensions showed that no size of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, bluegill Lepomis macrochirus, or gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum would preclude predation by flathead catfish. Our results support the assumption that the flathead catfish is one of the least gape-limited piscivores.

Received: January 31, 2006; Accepted: May 4, 2007; Published Online: February 11, 2008

DOI: 10.1577/M06-033.1
North American Journal of Fisheries Management 2008;28:198�202

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Man, if you read this thing I think you would think twice, or maybe three times about putting flathead catfish in your pond.

Not me - I have seen the results. A friend kept a 10 acre BG study pond for fisheries science teaching and research. After a few years his students reported back that their seining was resulting in fewer and fewer BG. So they drew down the lake and seined it. They were amazed to find few BG and about 12 large FH catfish from 50 to 10 lbs. The neighbor was raising his FH cats in my friends pond. --

Maybe we can sneak in the graph at some point that In-Fisherman had. Showing also how flatheads can target really big largemouth. Mr. Flathead is a tough customer, and he will possibly decimate your good fish in your pond.

My rod & gun club has an 8.5 acre pond that Ky dept. of fish & wildlife shocked up a 30 lb. flathead in.With no one present to tell them to keep it out,back it went. I chaired a "catch the cats" derby one nite last month,with no success. I had a hard time convincing the members that a 5 lb. Bass is only a meal to a big flathead. Plus,we probably have more of them. So,now I'm going to string a trot line across the pond.

I always wanted to build a flathead catfish pond.The only thing is , it would have to be only a flat head pond.! Flatheads and white crappie, and bluegill`s as forage... 2 prolific spawner`s, Should keep `em fed!!!!

Man I hate flatheads! I've been working for 2 years to rid my pond of them. This guy was 14 lbs, 33 inches. He may be smiling, but I got the last laugh as I watched the buzzards dispose of him.

Most people here dislike these guys , i like em, you can actually catch them on lures. I`ve caught them on road runner`s and jigs while crappie fishing during the spring. and also the flesh stays relatively tender up to 40 pounds where as blue1s and channels the flesh gets well rather tough as the get in the larger sizes. I think the flesh on these cats are the best , they have a little more sweeter tatse than blues or channels. my personal opinion of course, they taste best to me!

Actually I agree with broncofan. They are a great fish. I absolutely love them. They're cool looking and grow huge.

I just wouldn't want a pond owner to stock them without understanding some of the risks.

An OP is the best eatin catfish out there...I caught a 20lber on a jiggin spoon while White Bass fishing, no doubt it was down there munching on some White Bass.

Do you guys think channel cat are as bad as FH's? I have caught some up to 5lbs in my 8 acre pond. I don't think they will hurt the bass pop. and maybe they will get some of those darn white perch out!

Any thoughts?

no they are def not as bad a FH. a five pound channel will feed on small to mid size perchand maybe some of your smaller bass, but i think they focus more on perch. if you get some on up in the 8 to 10 or even bigger pound range then you might have a problem. what kind of pop do you have of the CC and what percent are 4 and 5 pounders.

Not sure how many but I do catch them regularly when bass fishing so I'm thinking there is a good population. If they primarily feed on perch then having them is fine with me.

Once a catfish, any kind of catfish, gets over 2 pounds, they are a top of the line predator. Like all predators, they will eat anything they can get in their mouths.

My favorite fish to catch is a catfish. It does not madtter what kind it is ,they fight hard,. If I own a pond it will be for trophy catfish