Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations How many catfish?

Appreciate all the advice and tips. Now to make a plan / line someone up to help with renovation and determine how many fish I'll want to restock. One other thought I had was red ears for snail/ parasite control. Maybe just a handful and keep them under strict control when I begin to notice smaller ones.

Jack,

I built about a 1/3 acre "put-and-take" pond several years ago. It has very steep sides and a flat bottom. It is about six feet deep.

It has been exceptional for channel catfish, hybrid bluegill, and hybrid striped bass.

Although I seldom ever catch any red-ear sunfish, I believe they are still in there. Whenever I stock hybrid bluegill, hybrid striped bass, or channel cats I always throw in about 50 red-ear sunfish.

For me, they are there to keep down any population of white or yellow grubs. Same in my 0.7 acre pond. I've never seen grubs in any of the bluegill or bass. Both ponds are frequented by grub carriers like great blue herons.

When I do catch a red ear, they are typically about 1-1/2 lbs. They go right back in the water immediately.

Good luck,
Ken

What were your initial stocking numbers for HBG, CC, and HSB in that put and take pond? I guess the HSB keep the redears in check enough to where you can throw every one back like that. Also, I'm guessing you stocked larger RES to avoid predation from existing HSB or bigger CC?

I think I’ve caught one or two in many years.

It is probably at least about 6-7 years ago when I initially stocked that pond, so I don't exactly remember what I put in. But, I would guess I started with 15 to 20 4-5 inch channel cats, probably 100 HBG and probably 100 RES. That would have been in April or May that year. I know I also stocked it again in about September with about similar numbers. The following springtime I added a similar number, plus two 6-7 inch koi. In late November I opened a hole in the ice of that second year and added 15 HSB. I believe it was the third late-autumn season when I added about 15-20 golden trout.

When adding RES and HBG in recent years I have been growing them out in a cage at the end of the dock in my other pond for about 4 months.

We don't release any caught channel cats if they are over about 14 inches.

Ken

P.S. One more thing. Through general agreement, most of the experts I've spoken to about largemouth bass eating channel cats, it is has been fairly consistent that because of the CC spines, a 5 inch CC is pretty safe from LMB predation.