Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations put, grow and take management

Norm:

I don't have long term, restocking experience (yet), but IMO CC are best harvested between 1.5 and 4 lbs. Over 4 lbs, the fillets get hard to remove and have too much thickness variation for cooking; you would probably have to go to the "catfish steak" technique I saw my Grandpa use a couple of times.

If I were going for a balanced BG-CC-LMB fishery (equally interested in all 3), I would try to keep about 50 CC/acre in the water. And I would restock CC around 12" long, if available. Restocking rates/intervals would depend upon harvest (and therefore CC growth and whether or not they were fed).

Hope this helps.