Well, I have given up trying to find blue catfish in Indiana for my 3rd pond (about 1/3 acre). Will stock 10 CC, 10 black crappie, and 10 RES next spring. Hopefully, the CC will grow large and eat crappie. The FHM and lake chubsuckers have had 3 years to reproduce, but I have very few plants due to the hard clay bottom. Even my lotus is struggling. Will try to add some branch piles this fall or winter. Will hopefully finish up my 4th pond tomorrow and cap the bottom drain. I am not happy with the depth, but the bottom is unworkable due to springs that seep constantly from the side opposite the dam. Hopefully, I was successful sealing sand veins under the dam, but it was hard to keep the walls of the 2' wide core trench from filling with sand washed in by water trapped in the veins. Time will tell... It's been a long hall with my small equipment.
Like you I would prefer the blues but I think this can work if the CC are of sufficient size and weight. If you stock CC at 20 inches length, they will be more focused on fish for prey. 10 of them would put you 75 lbs per acre. That's more than what would be required from other predators but I think it fits more appropriately with CC as apex predator. The Crappie will be effective predators of fish below the lengths the CC will be concentrating. I like approaches that stretch the envelope like this and will follow with interest.
It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so - Will Rogers
