Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Channel cat question

I'm sure that this has already been answered somewhere but I can't find it. In general, is it better to stock cats in the Fall or Spring here in the South? Thanks.

The fish seller usually wont sell them except during the correct times to stock.
In NC, that is early spring when the water is around 70 degrees.
Not sure if the water gets that cool in La.
They might sell year round!

I'm interested to hear the answer.

The fish trucks around kansas normally only run in spring-summer-fall. They dont run during the winter months.

I think spring, then start feeding immediately. Six inch CC stocked in March will be eating size by September, or maybe earlier. When the water gets into the mid 60's or lower, growth slows a lot.

In the past I figured that the hatcheries would know best. Not always the case as I have learned here. Four years ago we added 10 -12 in. CC in October and they have done extremely well and we get up to 20 in. of ice. Most fish we have added sometimes take a while to go to pellets even if pellet trained. The next spring the CC were there to eat pellets and still do however they are very hard to catch on line. I have never returned one that I have caught. They are smarter than they look.

I stocked 4-5" CC in mid May and didn't feed them at all till the other week started tossing some small feed in when I walked around the pond to watch the minnows and shiners fight over it, now the CC and BG will come up and eat too, was surprised but some of the CC are over 12" already in less then 5 months, no feed, granted there are ten million bait fish been born in the pond since then, I have everything from hatch-ling fry up to 3-4" bait.

I am fortunate to have a fish supplier as a neighbor and decided to ask him as well. Around here it's better in fall, winter and early spring before it starts getting too not. Since I have a few LMB in the pond, I needed larger fish. He had some beautiful fish! I decided to go ahead and add them. Thanks for your replies!