What good are Channel Catfish in a pond other than to Catch and Eat ?

Nocturnal predator

So they only eat the fish that come out at night. ?

Well, technically, all fish are 'out' at night, but I think Theos is just stating one of their roles as being a nocturnal feeder.

That, and members of the Edgar Winter Group.

Exactomundo.

Theo has this correct. CC is primarily active most often nocturnally and preys on fish that are in a resting mode at night.

I am curious with all the responses, what do they have to do with the question being ask
What good are they for a pond ?
They are good because they eat at night? That doesn’t sound like a very logical answer

Jason,

Here are few other things. If you don't have too many, CC grow very well without feed and generally outgrow LMB in typical farm ponds with BG. One study which determined standing crops in OK farm ponds found 100% of the populations of CC to be of harvestable size. The reason is probably owing to the lack of recruitment. CC are predators but also scavengers and they will clean up fish that succumb to the rigors of spawning or old age. They are good to eat with a mild firm flesh. You will have less FA with them because they will consume some of it as they forage for other things. FA has a very common presence in their stomach contents. CB100, one of our members, employs an ingenious intuition along that line. He can clear small areas of FA by feeding his CC a sinking feed that settles into the FA. The CC consume FA as they consume the feed. All in all, CC are a good fish that will compete to some extent with LMB. Feeding them will reduce the completion to some extent. Feeding will also lesson turbidity to some extent. In a modest density, say 10 large adults per acre however, CC don't cause a lot of turbidity. In fact, I can say none in my experience. In large numbers of smaller CC they seem to invariably muddy the water by foraging intensively on the bottom. They get hook smart but I can tell you my son has caught several clipped CC many times over through the years. One should probably separate CC fishing by a few weeks because they are indeed smarter than other fish when it comes to being hook smart. The density of catfish in two ponds is around 8 fish/acre. They are good sized ranging from 4 to 8 lbs.

Jpsdad,
Thanks for the response, exactly what I was wanting to know

Another catfish question
Once catfish are stocked in a pond how long until they will recognize when and where pellets are
being thrown out for them to eat? These are maybe 6” long
Qty:100 were stocked in a 5 acre pond last Thursday, I have thrown floating food out just before dark
the last 2 evenings and have seen nothing. There are no other fish in the pond other than maybe a million
FHM and a few LMB fingerlings

Jason,

There is a lot of space for them in 5 acres and you just haven't connected with them yet. I think what I might try is to moisten it to saturation and the squeeze it in your hand to compress enough air out that it sinks. This way it wont be blown away or to the edges. Do this in the spot that you want to feed them regularly from. It's scent will attract them once they swim close enough as they make their rounds. After about a week try throwing some feed in the same spot to see if they will take it floating. Your feed might be a little big for 6" fish. It might help to break it up a bit until they grow a little bigger.

Are you planning to stock BG for the LMB?

If nothing else I am feeding a lot of Minnows, The water is boiling with them within minutes
Yes there will be additional forage stocking. Just having a difficult time sourcing the correct fish
New Pond, New Fish, getting excited to see some activity since there has been nothing but Minnows in it since eradicating it the first day of ownership

On another thread about CC, someone made a very salient comment about CC hitting feed. I think it was jludwig but can't recall.

This person talked about how early on, you don't really see the CC feeding. Perhaps they are too timid. But once they reach a certain size to where they are not at risk from other fish or factors, then they will be very visible and active when feeding. This was also based around a comment about CC more likely to feed at low light conditions, but the person talked about how once they reached a certain size, you'd see them come to feed at any time during the day. This has matched my experience.

So, my guess is that you won't really be able to see CC feeding for a year or so, with certainty, until they get to the 12"+ range, or so, or maybe larger.

Take an area that is roughly 21 feet by 100 feet. Now try to spot ONE 6" long fish in that area. That is what you are trying to do to see 100 CC in your pond.

Jason D, while your stocking numbers of CC, (100) in a 5 acre pond, may be light by some people's standards, I would have done very similar if it was me. I like CC as a bonus fish and as a diversity aspect.

Having said that, I think it will be at least a year before you really see them, maybe longer.

I like the stocking number of 20 CC to the acre too. They should grow fast and not harm the water quality for the primary focus of growing large LMB.

6" CC got that big by eating feed as they are raised in high density depending on it where goal production is often > 40,000 to the acre. They'll eat feed but as Sunil suggested ... they may be reluctant to come to the surface for it at 6" TL. Most of the feed 6" CC fed on growing to that size was sinking crumble. But they will eat feed, if they won't come to the surface, you just have be sure it sinks.

Pretty sure I have seen some whiskers coming to the surface the last few evening while throwing feed out
But I don’t have video to support it and it’s been at sunset, 20’ off the shore so I’m not getting too excited yet

A feeding ring could keep the feed concentrated. They are recommended for preventing feed from blowing to shore when windy. A ring of 2 or 3 in black polypipe would work for one. Were you growing large quantities of CC ... another handy thing is that a lift net can be positioned under it for periodic harvesting (though it is more fun to fish for them).

We use rings to keep the feed contained due to windy conditions more often than not.

I added 13 CC (one pounders) to my 1/4 acre pond a few years ago for something different since my HSB were very hard to get on a hook. I also had a gross abundance of crawdads (I overstocked the new pond when it was refurbished) and the year that I stocked the CC, I only harvested about 1000 craws, compared to the 1500 the year before. The next year, I didn't even put the trap in since the craws no longer came to feeding time. So, CC are very good at balancing out abundant craws. They are still there, just not in crazy numbers. I was concerned that the craws were causing the muddy water problem I was having and figured if the CC added to it...it would be a wash if they cut the craw population down. Turns out my aeration system was causing the turbidity. I did not use it this year and the water has been leaps and bounds better than the previous 6 years...hands down a win. I don't suspect the CC are muddying my waters even at that stocking rate. I will be adding a few more CC next year along with some more HSB.

My CC feed well and more consistent than the HSB, are a pleasure to watch feed, a bit easier to catch on the rare occasion we throw a line, and are surely helping with the BG/HBG populations.

IF I ever get rain, I’ll be restocking (again). We are, once again, in a long term drought. Recently got an inch of rain but not any real effect. Fatheads, BG, cats and bass. I’ll also be redoing my cormorant excluder lines. They worked pretty well until drought hit and the water level dropped enough to make the lines too high. All this happened while I was recovering from surgery and having to learn to walk. Didn’t even see my ponds for about 4 months and didn’t get released by surgeon to lift over a couple of pounds or walk very far. I have some fish left but not enough to suit me.

But, ain’t my first rodeo. Been here before.

I see that there is flooding predicted for around the Dallas area tomorrow. Hopefully enough makes it West to help ya Dave.

Scott, we’ve had a little already and scheduled for about an inch around Bowie. Floods other areas are being threatened. Nasty storms coming.

I've had 3/4" in the past 4 hours but we are only supposed to get 1.2" max. The farmer was turning over the field here with a 4 bottom plow and even going that deep he was kicking up dust.

Neighbor got 2.7 but I’m at a higher elevation and some of the clouds veer away. Need to get there and see.

What good are catfish in a pond? Aside from table fare or as a target species, all they are is competition for your predator species. They really offer no benefit (other than bluegill control) if you happen to have that problem. They are not a desired species to me so I have zero reason to stock them.

As far as taking pellets I would bet once the weather warms it won't take long at all till they'll start taking pellets if you're consistent with time and location of feeding.

Many people enjoy having them, catching them, watching them feed, etc. All personal preference.

I hav always wanted to try a pond with fatheads as a starter, then bluegills and catfish. I fear that, sooner or later, it would be out of balance with too many BG.

Lusk sez: only bluegills can spawn enough to feed bass and only bass can keep up with bluegills booming spawns.

Catfish fry go everywhere in a school and are easily picked off by everything. But, on a new pond, stocked with bluegills and bass
they can compete. However, they do not successfully replenish themselves in the face of predation.

I have a 1/4 acre pond that, after many years and generations, is now all green sunfish. It’s now less than 1/8 acre due to drought. If, or when, we get enough rain to refill it, I intend to restock with fatheads, bluegills and catfish. I want to find out if I can balance a bluegill pond with cats. Due to the distance, a mile from the house, I can’t use a feeder and can only get there by 4 wheeler. If hogs didn’t destroy it, poachers would steal it. Afraid I’ll screw things up. With the limited spawns of GSF, I don’t have O2 problems. Other species like BG could over populate it causing an O2 crash. We will see if cats can be the answer.

DD1 - I look forward to your results from using FHM, BG/GSF and CC. I think if enough CC of mixed sizes are present they could control BG numbers. I would start with at least two sizes of CC. 5"-7" and 8"-10" with fingerling BG. Feed the CC until the first BG spawn; then stop feeding them. If you don't feed the CC for 1st year then 1st year stock a few spawner size BG with the fingerlings to create food for the smaller CC.

Bill, no matter what I do, I need a lot of rain.

I’m with you Dave I need a lot of rain also down over 4’….