Hey folks, cats from ponds will (almost) always have an "off" flavor. In rivers, there's no moss or algae, and I believe that's the issue. Soak your filets in a weak lemon juice/water mix (maybe 10:1 or so) for just 10 or 15 minutes just before you dry well and bread. It firms the meat (if caught in warmer months) and just makes them taste great.
Also, when you're trimming the filets, be sure to get ALL the yellowish stained meat off. That's fat and really makes them taste bad. Any silver lining from belly filets is the same...scrub brush makes short work of that stuff.
I catch all the cats I want from my pond, although rod and reel can be tough. Get a plastic pop bottle, tie on maybe 24" of HEAVY mono (I use 40 lb Trilene BigCat) and add a 4/0 or 5/0 circle hook. Hook a BG (big enough the bass won't mess with 'em - I use 5-6" fish) right behind the dorsal fin, not through the spine. Toss it out, away from any trees, just about sundown. Get out some heavy tackle the next morning and cast a bit treble hook out to snag the drop line. It's a BLAST! Sometimes I have to take the boat out to get 'em, because it's amazing how long a cat can hold down that bottle...picture the beer keg scene from "JAWS".
In a lifetime, the average driver will honk 15,250 times. My wife figures I'm due to die any day now...
