I've got baby catfish?!!!!
Let me give you guys a little refresher on the history of my pond. Its a 1/2 acrea cattle pond thats about 50 years old. 12 feet at the deepest point. If i measured right, about 2' of muck on the bottom. And untill this year, has been completly covered in duckweed.

The first part of april this year, I put 25 cc fingerlings, 4 GC, 2 koi, 8 1# LMB in here. Since then, I have been putting as many adult CNBG as I can catch in there. Also bought 15 CNBG fingerlings that Ihave tank raised to release, after they were big enough to avoid preditors. I have been manualy removing as much DW as I can. To assist in muck breakdown and nutrient reduction, we started using an old irrigation pump to circulate the water. Now I have a home built aerator in place.

The DW is now on the decline. I havnt been able to get out and remove any in a couple of weeks, but i notice that its all but gone around the edges. I only have 1 big concentration left in a shallow end ( 4-5' at the deepest). This end is shaded by trees, and rceives all the run off from the wooded area behind it. It also has the most muck built up. I am also in the process of limeing the pond.

2 weeks ago, I started feeding the fish. My fincky mutt doesnt like the last dogfood I got him, so the fish are getting it. I plan on changing to fish food this week.

Ok to the point ( sorry for being so long winded).

Friday I went to feed the fish, and I noticed some little fish, about 1" long, Swimming around in a little hole in the shallows. I got a net and a bucket and snatched up a few. They are little baby catfish. Right now they are solid black. I know they arent from the 25 CC figerlings I put in, but I dont know what spiecies they are. I've got a few in my holding tank. I'm gonna grow em up a bit to see if I can identify them.

To me this is strange. As far as I know the pond never had any catfish in it. I've fished it since i was a small boy untill it the DW took over. And in 30 years Ive never heard of anyone catching a catfish out of it. Not to mention the fact that I didnt think anything of any size would have survived 15 years of DW covering the pond. And s far as I know, no spawning structure for cats.

I guess I really didnt hve a point to this post. I was just amazed that I got baby catfish.

Take a good look at the tails of your new wiskered fish. If tails are rounded they are a specie of bullhead. If tails are obviously and deeply forked they are catfish. The forked tail feature on CC and blue catfish (BC) shows up when the young cats are only 15mm long (0.6"). BCP is the PBoss standard acronym for black crappie.

Thanks Bill.
I'll definantly look when I get home

Bullheads easily spawn in ponds compared to CC. They also tolerate toilet water conditions. Based on where you are in the country they're most likely black or yellow bullheads.

A couple of years back we were hanging around our pond when we noticed a black mass moving around the pond.

We first noticed it at a distance and had no idea what it was. As it moved along the shoreline and came close to us we realized that it was a school of small fish.

Turned out it was Bullhead young swimming in a massive ball.

Here's the photo I took of it.

thats a awesome pic of the catfish in the massive ball

Ok my main goals are a bass/bluegill pond. Really going for some nice eatin size bluegill. The CC I put in was just because I wanted to get a mess of catfish every once in a while. should these little guys turn out to be bullheads, should I fish them out? are they pernicous in any way? Are they even eatable?
Thanks Denny

If you can keep bullheads from becoming overpopulated they will grow to cleanable size in 2-3 yrs especially if fed fish pellets; without pellets 3-5yrs. Cleanable size IMO for bullhead is 10". I grew them in NW OH to 11"-12" in 3 yrs starting with 3"-4" fish.

I would like to try to eat a bullhead that was fed pellets as all the others around here I have tried to eat tastes like the way the mud smells they swim in.

If there's any part of the meat that is a darker yellow than the surrounding tissue, cut it out. Also, try soaking the fillets, (or whole fish), in Sprite, or 7-up, overnight. It makes a big difference.

Bullheads fed pellets taste quite good even from very warm murky water. I was suprised they did not have any type of off flavor. Meat from bullhead is similar texture as CC and often pinkish at least from yellow bullheads. There is quite a bit of meat on a 12" bullhead especially if you cut out the part just behind the bottom of the gills similar to catfish nuggets.

In a pond situation you may have to 'thin out' their numbers by trapping. They readily enter baited traps. Tuna, dead fish or fish pellets work as baits. If the pond has LMB they will eat a lot of the small 3/4"-2" bullheads.

I think yellow bullheads are the better of the species followed by brown. Blackwould be the least desirable IMO. I prefer bullhead over CC for eating. Bullheads tend not to compete well with their bigger cousins. CC and especially flatheads and blue will eat them and simply push them out of prime habitat.

Looked yesterday after I got home. the tail is blunt with rounded edges. They are solid black. I'm going to try fishing for some of the adults and see if I can determind what type of bullhead they are.

Toss your bait right into the fry ball... The male is usually near by guarding and will readily take the bait. All 3 species tend to be black or dark brown when small.

Did you ever try what CJBS2003 said?

The fry hsve ether moved on or been eaten. I caught 6 the other day usinmg dough bait. just casted in the middle of them feeding.

The balls of fry eventually break up and they go their separate ways. Walk your pond edge with a spotlight after dark and shine it in the shallows. You most likely see the 2-3" fingerlings swimming around.

Walk around a pond at night? That's crazy talk. There are creatures out there that want to eat you. Lions, tigers, bears, flying monkeys, carnivorous squirrels, salamander attack teams, vampire frogs. Jeez people are gonna get killed here.

Or perhaps that is just the city boy in me talking.

But I for one am not taking any chances.

Jeff,
The next time you visit your inlaws, we need to spend a night of fising at Sunil's place. Todd can tell ghastly stories. Maybe Travis could join us and tell spine chilling police tales. We'll desensitze you to the point of complete fearlessness -- even of baby catfish..
Ken

as Ash said on "The Army of Darkness" This... is my boomstick! The twelve-gauge double-barreled Remington. S-Mart's top of the line. You can find this in the sporting goods department. That's right, this sweet baby was made in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Retails for about a hundred and nine, ninety five. It's got a walnut stock, cobalt blue steel, and a hair trigger. That's right. Shop smart. Shop S-Mart. You got that?

that helps with all the
creatures out there that want to eat you. Lions, tigers, bears, flying monkeys, carnivorous squirrels, salamander attack teams, vampire frogs( have to use wooden shot).

It doesn't help that we have caught several Bob Cats on the game cameras. One guy is of pretty good size. My neighbor watched a Mountain Lion walk out of one of our black berry patches last fall. Another neighbor spotted a Black Bear cross our meadow a couple of years back.

Of course it's the two legged critters that worry me the most. The game cameras caught more trespassers on our place the last trip up.

one of em looked like me......

I certainly don't mind catching you on the game cameras DIED. Well except for the photos of you mooning the cameras.

I dare you to post one of those mooning photos of DIED!

I'd double dog dare you, but I don't have a photo of DIED!

Any triple dog darers out there?

What happens in El Dorado, stays in El Dorado.

And that's all I have to say about that.






I will however proffer this very realistic artistic rendering of the event.....

Obviously you need MORE deadly wildlife at your place!

i gotta say my hind quarters never looked so good

Jeff -- Consider yourself Moderated! How dare you take on such a dare?

I am highly disappointed with my actions.

I have severely reprimanded myself for my egregious behavior.

Because of this complete and total lack of forum decorum (hey that rhymes) I am imposing a 7 minute and 31 second time out. During this time I shall not post to this forum nor read any information contained with this forum.

This punishment shall begin right NOW!

That is because the artist assumed that you had recently received the Brazilian wax job in preparation of your donning the Brazilian Cut Neoprene...well you know.





Jeez I have no self control.


I plead insanity and throw myself on the mercy of the court.

Like the OJ trial - it does not fit so we must acquit.

in·cor·ri·gi·ble (n-kôr-j-bl, -kr-)
adj.
1. Incapable of being corrected or reformed: an incorrigible criminal.
2. Firmly rooted; ineradicable: incorrigible faults.
3. Difficult or impossible to control or manage: an incorrigible, spoiled child.
n.
One that cannot be corrected or reformed.
[Middle English, from Latin incorrigibilis : in-, not; see in-1 + corrigere, to correct; see correct.]

Sorta like GSF...

However, in spite of the acquittal, Mr. J. HAP did fail to observe the self-imposed 7 minute 31 second posting/reading moratorium, so he is hereby found to be in contempt of court and a fine is levied in the amount of ONE MILLION DOLLARS (movie reference anyone? This is an easy one!), payable to the Jesse West Foundation!

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

I think you also get style points for the manner in which you answered. I hereby award you a +2 3/8 useful post value, pushing your total of useful posts (including the recent one confirmed by Mr. Cody) north of 45, I believe. Congrats - you're nearing a milestone!

So as not to be accused of post count fraud I'll take one point for the post observed by Cody and one point here.

And that my friends brings me to 49 good posts.

I'm guessing that, if my luck holds, I'll be at 50 goods posts by Christmas.

Given that I've been posting to this forum for five years on the 28th of this month, I'm quite satisfied with my progress. Maintaining an average of 10 good posts per year takes an enormous amount of self restraint and and an unbelievable amount of editing and personal moderation. You wouldn't believe the stuff that I have typed in to the reply box and then, upon reflection, sent to the trash bin in the sky.

Trust me Jeff, we would not only believe you, but most will shudder at contemplating what some of your "first thoughts" may have been...

JHAP.. You have know i idea how much stuff I also type in the reply box then reread and decide I better not publish that.. (my problem is bluntness)

Love it, Jeff!

Occasionally I have to defer to an independent third party review (Ricki). Fortunately she has a higher degree of common sense and decorum than do I. The end result is that many things that I think are hysterical never make it to the forums, which is probably a good thing.


Mine is an overactive imagination and quirky sense of humor. I rarely rant about anything but must admit that I have on many occasions felt the desire to rant.

No offense, but she married YOU! Isn't that grounds to question common sense and sanity?

Wow, you make a great point.

OK back on subject here. I just went to the pond this morning., and there are basket ball size wads of the suckers every were.
Will LMB eat them? If so the ones I put in must have not made it. Is there a trick to transfering LMB from one pond to another. we are relitivly close. 1/2 mile maybe.
If a no one the LMB eating them, I'm guessing trapping would be the next solution.

Use a shotgun. It takes one shell per school.

I was seriously thinking about it