Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Blue Cats and Channels in the same pond

3.5 years ago stocked my .75 acre pond with all fingerlings and included 40 3-5" Channels and 19 4-6" Blues. Now fast forward to last year and prior years where I hardly ever see any of my blues taking pellets and when i do there smaller fish then the channels,so last fall took out a handful of channels from 3.5lbs to just under 6 lbs. Last fall caught and released a 13" Blue??? then just 2 days ago my friend caught a 16" blue that was probably about 2.25 lbs.

Im curious what others have noticed wih there blues vs channels in the same pond with growth rates, the few blues I catch are definately pot bellied and healthy looking just as the channels are. I assume the channels have a higher growth rate because they are voracious feeders once I start feeding them where the blues are not even though the first year, they were all about the pelllets and were purchased from a hatchery that pellet feeds them.

I thought I read on here at one point thet someone had said there blues were not as fast of growers as the channels in their ponds but in rivers its the other way around. Would welcome any input here. Just trying to figure out if there is a growth problem or what going on, BTW, I got 8 bazillion GS in the pond, its half of what i catch ice fishing, and Im putting between 25-30 lbs of fatheads in every spring and fall.

Thanks
Salmonid