My 3rd pond is 1/2 acre and currently has FHM and lake chubsuckers in it. My plan is to stock black crappie followed by blue catfish with the goal of a few large blue catfish and some black crappie for my neighbor to harvest. Would stocking some RES be any harm, and if not, should I plan to stock them with the crappie? Currently waiting to get some plants established for fish cover while I work on digging my 4th pond.

They would help control any snails and associated parasites.

I can't imagine they would do any harm. They would take up some of the carrying capacity of the pond but unlikely for many if any of them to get large enough to escape the gape of a blue.

So in my non expert opinion I don't see what they would hurt and they might help with the parasites. But then I have a fondness of the cuddly things so am biased.

How large does a blue cat have to be to have the gape to harm the RES population?

While BC and Flathead cats are different (different gape dimensions) they are both the largest and most predatory of our catfish. So the below is provided for info only. Just food for thought.

FYI

North American Journal of Fisheries Management
Article: pp. 198-202

Gape:Body Size Relationship of Flathead Catfish
Joe E. Slaughter IVa,,1 and Brad Jacobsonb
a) Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, 2065 U.S. Highway 278 SE, Social Circle, Georgia 30025, USA
b) Arizona Game and Fish Department, Region IV, 9140 East 28th Street, Yuma, Arizona 85365, USA

Abstract.

The flathead catfish Pylodictis olivaris is a highly piscivorous ictalurid native to central North America whose range has been extended throughout much of the United States. With this range expansion, many populations of native fishes have experienced declines in the number of individuals due to direct predation by flathead catfish. Previous evidence suggests that flathead catfish are opportunistic feeders and may be the least gape limited of North American freshwater piscivores. To better understand the size of prey vulnerable to flathead catfish, we measured gape dimensions for individuals of various sizes to determine the maximum size prey a flathead catfish can kill based on its gape limitations. Our results show the relationship of total length to horizontal and vertical gape and the relationship of flathead catfish total length to the total lengths of ingestible-sized prey of different body shapes. Furthermore, comparisons of the body depth of three common fish species to the gape dimensions showed that no size of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, bluegill Lepomis macrochirus, or gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum would preclude predation by flathead catfish. Our results support the assumption that the flathead catfish is one of the least gape-limited piscivores.

Received: January 31, 2006; Accepted: May 4, 2007; Published Online: February 11, 2008

DOI: 10.1577/M06-033.1
North American Journal of Fisheries Management 2008;28:198�202

Do we have any specific lengths that we can apply to this

Well it seems like adding a few RES would not have any downside but the blue catfish could wipe them out. Perhaps the black crappie will divert their attention?

I have blue cats in my pond that are maybe 5-6#not near large enough to eat large enough BG or RES, the BCP have been decimated to the point of extinction by LMB. At one time I could catch 20 BCP 8” now none.....

Going off of my experience with BC up to 8 lbs, I don't think I'd worry about them. A beautiful fish. Now maybe your pond will be a setting where they can spawn and cause issues, but in the right numbers I think they just add a fish that makes your heart skip a beat when you tie into one.

Already have catfish spawning structure in the pond. Just wondering on any downside to having RES in the mix of fish in my first post.

Can only think of positives with RES.

I can't think of any downsides.

I would sure give it a try - no downsides that I know. I would try to get some advanced size RES and habituate them on stocking.

Thanks guys. My plan is to add 10 crappie and 10 RES next year if I get some cover growing. I may just need to add some brush piles to accelerate things. I think the pond is still pretty nutrient poor. That should change as leaves blow in over the years.

Pat W, I know you said you think your BC aren't reproducing like you would like, I would venture to say you may be losing a bunch to your Blue Cats, its been my experience that Blues will decimate your crappie populations. jmo

I put 140 blue cats in and they are not big enough to eat 8-10” BCP where 10# bass surely can and did. No recruitment from BCP due to oversupply of BG from what I can see. BC are 4-6#