Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations 1.5 acre full of fish that won't bite

we have a 1.5 acre pond that is a impoundment on a small creek two other ponds above me are on this same creek. we have Blue Gill,Large Mouth Bass,Blue Catfish and Channel Catfish. The only way to cath any catfish is to throw out a line with a medium size bream on it. usually the next orning he will have a catfish on the line.The blue gill will bite slow usually we catch about five or six and they quit biting. 12 to 15 Inch bass can be caught around the pond frequently. We had the pond tested by the state and were told to catch all the catfish we could catch and at least 125 bass. that was in 2006 and we have only caught about about 65 catfish in 5 years. i have tried trottlines and jugging with chicken liver. the bait rotts off the hook. i put two wire baskets in the pond caught very few fish until the wire rusted into.

Does this pond face heavy fishing pressure?

Two of several possibilities: 1. the fish are not there, summerkill- winterkill, poachers? 2. the pond is old and fish are hook smart.

That's my vote.

I put a trotline in my pond to catch the CC out. I tried stink baits on a rod - no luck. I used beef liver/shrimp/cut up hot dog on alternating hooks. The CC that I did catch, mostly bit on the hotdogs. CC are smart - I can't catch more than a few per week.