Sunil has some good information. If you use the best higher quality fish food your conversion rate could be very close to 1:1 for the catfish and for BG if they train to eat pellets. If I was wanting to not get my stocker CC eaten by the biggest bass be sure to stock the Sunil suggested sizes. 8"-10". The larger and older stocker size of CC will more quickly come and eat the pellets. If you add those 8"-10" CC by May 20 you could have some CC close and to 2 pounds by fall and maybe 3 lbs when in MS with good pelleted food with 40% protein. Best good name high protein brands are Purina Sport Fish, Cargill, Optimal. Check bag tag for protein content. CC will eat cheap 32% pellets but their food consumed conversion is closer to the 2:1 rate. BG grow much better with 40% protein.
Start by gradually adding just a handful of pellets per day until you see fish eating pellets well. Then add pellets daily near sunset on one location. Add enough pellets that are all consumed in 10 minutes. For 0.6 ac and CC are 2+ lbs, I would not add more than 1 to maybe 2 quarts of pellets per day.
If it were my pond I would harvest as many big bluegill as the number of CC that you stock a 1:1 ratio. This helps maintain a better carrying capacity for a healthier fishery. CC at 16"+ begin to regularly eat small fish also. I think one medium catfish takes the place of one bass with Bass eating fish during the day and CC eating fish at night when CC can best catch and eat resting fish of both BG & small LMB. If you want to make the CC the predominant fish in the pond, I think you could stock 25-40 CC if you also remove the same number of large BG. LMB and big BG eat hatchling baby CC so you will probably not see very much recruitment from the CC if your pond has good numbers of bass. Catch and eat 10 CC restock 10.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 04/17/23 02:17 PM.
