Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Channel Catfish recruitment

I have confirmed recruitment in one of my two 1/4 acre ponds. There is no cover except a load of rocks on one end, and a couple of aging brush piles. However, the pond is very muddy, which may help with survival of fry from Bluegill, and the occasional small LMB. I have not stocked any CC since about 2020, yet at least a few 8 to 10 inch ones are coming to feed.
I have been told that recruitment in small ponds is rare.

I have had it in both ponds. The first time, intentionally, with spawning structures I placed and later removed. A very small number of young CC survived LMB (and BG ??) predation. The second is in my SMB pond, where a few stocked CC found spawning options in structures I put in for SMB and YP (Tire tunnels? Concrete culverts? Log pile? I don't know which, and the catfish I catch won't squeal.) SMB predation (with admittedly lower bass numbers) does not eliminate a lot of CC young. I'm taking out every one I catch.

CC spawning in ponds, given structures they can use, is fairly common. Fry and young CC survival depends upon the predation present.