Originally posted by Yolk Sac:
Originally posted by Theo Gallus:
Only Ictalurus punctalus nefariensus, a highly intelligent subspecies found primarily in West Virginia. Ictalurus punctalus oculosingularus, the Central Ohio subspecies, is said to be easier to catch. With nearly 60 years of fishing experience, I have come to believe that all families of fish have serious weakness that just need to be exploited. But, the fish in every body of water have different weaknesses, and age brings lots of wisdom -- to fish and those who seek them.
Numbers of fish per acre-foot, which translates to fertility and diversity, also have a lot to do with catchability. In my pond, I believe the ratio of LMB to BG is very close in numbers and weight. With the right techniques, I can catch almost as many LMB in and hour as I can catch BG. The total weight will probably be similar also, as I allow lots of LMB below 10 inches to survive, and I encourage lots of large BG (female over 9.5 inches, male over 10.5 inches) to survive.
The catfish are a whole 'nother story. They are old. They are big and fat. They are very wise. I'm slowly outwitting them one at a time. When I get them sufficiently thinned, I'm going to replace them with far younger, far more gullible specimens.
Before my much beloved Shenandoah River,the Upper Potomac South Fork, and the Cacapon (which my pond empties into) began experiencing the horrible problems of recent years
Shenandoah Fish Kills Potomac Fish Kills , it was as easy to boat as many quality SMB in an hour, than to boat any combination of "sunfish" (BG, RES, green, pumpkinseed, warmouth, redeye, etc.)
Good water, good food, good cover, and good techniques can be a real equalizer for all species. As fishermen, we just have to be smarter than the fish.
