Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Catfish and swimming??

I was debating putting a few channel cats in my pond that the kids swim in almost every hot day. Just wondering if the cats would stay in the deep water away from the beach area, or will they brush up againt you as your swimming. The kids,6 and 4, would freak out if a big 5 pounder rubbed up next to them. Thanks.

Not to worry! Catfish are far more shy than bass and bluegill. Unless you have been hand feeding them, they will head for the holes at the slightest disturbance.

How safe has it been for your kids to swim in the pond?

Also would not be a bad idea to stock some bream and bass as well....

We've been swimming in our pond with CC, LMB, BG, RES, GShiners, and Grass Carp for three years. We typically swim around in almost all the pond, except for the 20% or so where the shallow structure is placed. Never had any fish brush up against us underwater as far as we could tell. Have come close to being hit in the head above water by jumping shiners.

Three rules we have for safety are:
1) Nobody swims without an adult present.
2) We wear lifejackets (nobody is trying to be Mark Spitz, just cool off, have fun, & get some exercise).
3) Everyone wears old sneakers or pool shoes. This way I don't have to worry about all the lost hooks and lures that are SOMEWHERE on the bottom.

Those are Excelent rules...

Thanks everyone. Good rules Theo. We use rule #1&2 as well.

Worst fish to swim arounds in my opinion is bluegills. Dock bluegills will come up and pick at moles on your skin sometimes and nip at body hair. Mainly if you stay in the same place for a while.

Goldfish and koi are pretty bad about that, too. My dad has a decorative pond in his front yard, and I've had to climb in and work on a fountain that he used to have in the center of it. The fish would come up to me and start trying to suck all my leg hairs off! The bigger koi are also amusing in that if you stick you're finger near the water, they'll rise up and suck on it. I guess they'll at least try to eat just about anything...

Concerning APCenter's Koi, I would add a rule # 4: a good pair of swimming trunks!

Don, if you're incinuating what I think you are, no, they haven't tried to suck that yet! That would be kinda icky...