Ed:
In our 5 acre pond up here in Memphis, we have all kinds of fish, including bass, bluegill, redear, and crappie. Did not have grass carp or catfish when we got the place. We do a lot of kid activities for the boys' school and scouts so I stocked 800 catfish over a 2 year period.
We catch catfish all the time and they will bite on almost anything. We have use stink bait and chicken livers, but what the boys like to use the most is hot dogs used in smaller pieces.
I agree with the larger hooks mentioned above (#4)and would use 8-10 lb. test line. One way you can find out what type of mystery fish you are dealing with is to buy you a bag of pelletized floating fish feed at any feed store and throw some out by hand on a regular basis and they will learn to come to the surface for some "ice cream". You will then be able to see what you have. If it is too much trouble to find fish food, dry dog food (smaller size) will work just as well.
Whatever you end up catching, just have fun.
Mark Jenkins
