Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations flathead catfish

Does anyone here manage a flathead catfish pond? And is there anyone here who fishes for flatheads? There is alot of flathead fishing around here and I thought I would try out fishing for them. I am going to "Gander Mountain" today so if there are any realy important things you need just let me know.

Thanks:)

Flatheads have been discussed quite a bit but I don't know of anyone that is actively managing a pond for them. Here's one discussion about flatheads. They definately will be the top predator as once they get up to a few pounds virtually nothing in the pond is safe from them, BG, RES, LMB, lambs, toy poodles, small children are all on the menu for flatheads.

I don't think they wold eat children. I KNOW of people who's dogs were eaten by Flatheads. Someone said they saw a flathead catfish eat a blue heron. Another said that he saw one eat a racoon. Still another said that he saw one eat a baby deer.

Look at the link below

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_catfish_basketball.html

Sorry about that therrien, I was just being a goof off. That's why I menioned lambs and toy poodles. I agree the rumors of their consumption habits are highly exaggerated, still I wouldn't let any lambs swim in the pond.

But they do have a huge mouth gape and not even LMB are safe from them.

Yes they ere know especialy for ruining the fishing in bluegill ponds. I have read 123456789? reports that fltaheads eating ducks.

Flatheads eating small ducks wouldn't surprise me at all. I would think that a flathead pond would be doable. Probably much like LMB you would have to limit the flathead numbers and have a good source of forage like BG. I know folks feed CC with pellets, I wonder if the same can be done with flatheads?

I've never caught a flathead but I would imagine the fight would be something else. I saw a Bill Dance special once in which he was fishing for flatheads, dang he caught some big ones, looked like a lot of fun!

Catching even a 5 pound catfish is somthing else.

make your own flathead pellets. take a 50 bag of fish feed, divide into 5 equal portions. soak in water and pet milk. shape into balls about the size of soccer balls. you will need a sturdy fish feeder.

hahaha

You will note that nowhere on this list is there mention of Green Sunfish. This could be because flatheads are particularly discerning piscavores, their philosophy of consumption being "you are what you eat." This would certainly dissuade me from ever consuming a green sunfish, if I was a flathead.

There is another possibility, however. I seem to remember an article someone posted, maybe Ewest, that suggested that flatheads can form a very symbiotic, successful relationship with green sunfish, especially when stocked in northern California ponds, at extremely high densities. The larger flatheads in particular have been noted to have a very beneficial effect on GSF populations.

LOL.

Did you guys see the show on one of those nature channels - I believe it was Animal Planet, but it might have been Discovery - recently about a catfish in India that they believe may have eaten grown men? Livestock had been disappearing in a certain river somewhere in India; then in the last couple years people have started disappearing. The denizens float their dead into the river as part of their burial ritual, and so now one of those guys who has a Monster Fish-type show thinks the catfish may have been eating the corpses and growing up to ten feet or more in length, and now possibly they're picking off live humans that are uninformed enough to swim in the river...

Walt...I believe in those stories, actually. I just finished a book on Theodore Roosevelt's near fatal trip down the 1000 mile River of Doubt in South America [great book btw]. Roosevelt noted that many villagers talked about the 9 ft piraiba catfish who would sneak attack so often that the villagers built stockades in the river order to remain safe from attack.

It was on River Monsters and it was a Goonch catfish (sp?) They grow especially large in a part of the river where bodies are burned and dumped in. They have BIG teeth too.

I watched that episode, and love that show!! Some fish

Yolk, to further your "you are what you eat" theory", I believe that you have eaten a lot of fathead minnows.

Dang this can't be good for water quality.

Cover or structure? I'm thinking structure.

I'm sure glad this site isn't "River Boss."

Yes, they are excellent for increasing the capacity of the ol' cranium, which has become essential for monitoring and countering the insidious actions of the GSA.

JHAP, I am watching you closely. Do not think that your apparent courteous, helpful welcome of a new member with questions has gone unnoticed. As soon as you suggest to this innocent newcomer that Green Sunfish are well known consumers of watermeal and duckweed, I will pounce and expose your campaign of evil disinformation.

Fish is brain food.

Green Sunfish is extreme, aggressive, in-your-face brain food.

Green sunfish give me gas.

That catfish Wow!

Therrien

I was going to reply to your request on FH advice but my post was getting VERY long and I didn't know how granular you wanted to get....I try to suppress the urge to provide unsolicited advice but am not often succesful.

I've been a ardent FH fan for a long time and have done everything wrong from concept to execution and can help you get up to speed if you are still interested. Feel free to PM so we can chat on the phone if you so choose - good to meet another FH fan!

You can expand your cranium to the size of the Goodyear Blimp and yet you shall always be one step behind the GSA.




Watch away but know that I am watching you watch me.

Yet another reason why you shouldn't eat this magnificent species.