Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Eating my babies

All the Bullhead species seem to reproduce fairly well in pond and lakes, but the sportsman catfish such as the channels, flatheads, and blues need some sort of cave or caveren with a sandy bottom to spawn. Place old concrete or corigated pipes about 1 to 2 feet in diameter in about 2 to 3 feet of water all along the bank and sides of the lake.
Fill these pipes about 1/3 of the way with sand the male a female cat (channel, Flathead or blue) will mate in these tunnels. The male will gaurd the nest and usually spends the most time there. Spawning season is usually from mid april to late July..

hope this helps..

Man late yesterday afternoon we had about 2inches of rain and now the main creek is about 4ft deep and running in. I hope this will jump start my catfish spawn for this year. I think i will have an awesome amount of babies this year. I've already seen the threadfin and gar spawning so it is about time for the catfish spawn.

When do they taste the best for eating, I can't give you a particular size, but when they get really big, they taste funky. I have eaten 20 lb. blues and loved them. Beyond that, I toss em back out of respect. (This is in a lake, not my pond.)

i'll eat em

Talking of pets, did anyone see the dallas news a couple of years back. They interviewed this guy who had a pet LM bass in his small stock pond. It weighed 8 to 10 lbs. He walked out to the edge of his pier and held out his hand. The bass jumped out of the water and into this guys arms. He gave it a few hand rubs and released it. The news reported ask how did he ever train the fish to do that. The story went that he was mowing the edges of the pond with his push mower. He began to notice that ever time he mowed this small fish would follow him all around the pond as he mowed eating at the debris from the mower. He said he eventally started feeding the fish as he mowed.Over time the bass got more and more friendly and trusting. And would come up to greet him ever time he came to the pond.

That takes the cake RT. It's unusual to see an animal doing something that unnatural.

And I thought this was special.

http://www.dailyhaha.com/_vids/trained_fish.htm

Bob that is crazy. I would like them to explain that training.

I think they got to much time on there hands...

I can't eat my catfish either.

The miserable critters refuse to get caught!

Don't let them get too big. They get smarter as they get older -- or is it that I get dumber as I get older?

Anyway, we still have way too many that are over 30-inches long. I keep trying to invite them in for dinner, but they keep refusing my invitations.

Catmando; Cats turned down all of my offerings until I bought some FRESH shrimp. The salty smell did the trick. Five 7 year olds caught 5 fish weighing 37 pounds. I've never found a better catfish bait. And; I just used the heads on a circle hook.

Dave,
I'll probably try some shrimp in the springtime. If something doesn't start to work this year, I may have to resort to "duPont spinners" -- those red sticks that get lit with a match! We've tried nearly every other technique and bait. Last year it gave us good reason to have many Saturday night fishing parties -- where the guests brought their best baits and techniques.

Right now the pond is covered with about 7 to 10 inches of ice, so not much happening.

Catmandoo, be careful, they may be reading that Erica Yong book "Fear of Frying".
Dave, I also have done well with shrimp. Cooked shrimp worked even better, got a fish every time. Not cats, pacu, but I am jealous, my five only weighted 30 pounds.