After seeing Pappy's picture, the first thought that came to mind was "if Big_Pond doesn't get a smile out of that fish, his EKG has got to be flatlined.." :p
This thread is interesting. I live in an urban area and have one pond I like to visit where there are a fair number of 9" bluegill. In this pond I often fish with 5 to 6 in bluegill and catch an occasional large bass or large catfish. A couple of the catfish exceeded 10 lbs and several more than 5 lbs. I always release them and the 10 lb cats may have been just one. This is the only pond where I catch large bluegill and it is the best catfish pond as well.
Could anyone venture a guess as to the weight per acre required of 5 lb CC to be effective predators of bluegill in a hard water unfertilized pond with about 24 inches of clarity? At an appropriate density, the channel cat growth should be low. Given the long life channel catfish they might provide stable predation of bluegill for an extended period provided they are not harvested.
I just threw 5 1bs out there but what might be the most appropriate size for predation of 4 to 5 inch bluegill by CC?
It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so - Will Rogers
I never grew up fishing for bass but rather fishing for catfish and have always liked them. It seems like catfish should control bluegills easily. The only problem with this combination is that the catfish wouldn't successfully reproduce. With the thousands (millions?) of catfish raised, they are really cheap to buy. If they can control bluegills, why wouldn't they be able to control crappies? Again, I'm assuming a put, grow and harvest catfishery. In small lakes, this would not cost that much.
Someone forgot to tell my CC they can't reproduce in my pond. I have everything from 6" through 12" through 15" and up to several pounds. Pond is going on 5 years old and I have at least 3 year classes of reproduction. My LMB predation is kind of on the light side so that may explain some of the success of the CC. I do not have an over abundance of CC reproduction but what for me seems about the right amount to maintain a population.
I'm trying to get my LMB population up to control the BG better so if I get that accomplished it may be the end of CC recruitment. I should have some 4-5# CC so maybe they will start helping with the BG control.
Heck get some one on the board to volunteer a pond and you can approach in a scintific manner and see what the stocking of certain number of bluegill and certain number of a particular catfish species will result in a few years, otherwise a college will not take on this research.
I'm volunteering a public pond near ...
I caught a nice 22" channel last evening but I just couldn't bring myself to move it to the pond. As much as I would like to improve that pond, its not mine to improve and I've decided its going to remain how it is. It's a good source of bait . I would certainly like to understand more about how channel catfish big enough to eat bluegill might impact bluegill growth and whether their presence is really a benefit. Anecdotally, mine own observations would seem to support that they don't harm a fishery with the goal of large bluegill when bass are also present. While not any definitive understanding, I guess I'll have to be satisfied.
Cheers
Last edited by jpsdad; 05/24/1804:02 PM.
It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so - Will Rogers
..... Someone forgot to tell my CC they can't reproduce in my pond. I have everything from 6" through 12" through 15" and up to several pounds. Pond is going on 5 years old and I have at least 3 year classes of reproduction. My LMB predation is kind of on the light side so that may explain some of the success of the CC. I do not have an over abundance of CC reproduction but what for me seems about the right amount to maintain a population.
...
Same here. My bride went fishing for a while today and caught a nice 2 pound+ CC (2016 recruit) and a 7 inch (2017 recruit).
I am so glad to see someone post this, as my pond is five years old and we have BG LMB and CC in it. My grandson caught a 8 pound, 27 inch Cc just the other day, and we have a half acre pond. I was told they (cc) would not reproduce in it. I am seeing all sizes come up to eat, they look like small vacuum cleaners clearing the surface of food. With the size of mouth on that big cat it can eat anything in my pond at the moment. I know it has been said that here in the north (Michigan) the BG vs LMB does not always work at controlling the BG, I think the CC will help. But that is just me thinking, Thanks for the great discussion!
half-acre pond, LMB, HBG, BG, GSH and CC ....goal is to have fun fishing. And I subscribe!
This is the best fresh water fish GOD ever made!!!
. I would certainly like to understand more about how channel catfish big enough to eat bluegill might impact bluegill growth and whether their presence is really a benefit. Anecdotally, mine own observations would seem to support that they don't harm a fishery with the goal of large bluegill when bass are also present. While not any definitive understanding, I guess I'll have to be satisfied. 
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