I caught this big blue catfish last night at a pond I am helping a guy manage here in Mississippi. The scale bounced between 29 and 32 pounds. 22 years ago 15 blue catfish, each about a pound each were stocked into this pond....Now look what happend!
Fisheries Biologist Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
"Success is often overlooked because it dresses up in overalls and disguises itself as work."
The pond is around 5 acres. Average depth is maybe 5 feet, with the deepest being 13. I did catch another one that was only about 9 pounds, which tells me they either reproduced, which is unlikely, or this big one just eats a lot. He said he catches 1 or 2 year on accident bass fishing. The 2 he got last year were around 20 pounds. His kids love the idea of a giant fish being in the pond, so he releases all of them.
Thanks TJ
Fisheries Biologist Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
"Success is often overlooked because it dresses up in overalls and disguises itself as work."
Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:" "She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."
Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:" "She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."
Can you relate to us the affect these ultra predators are having on the remaining population of fish? I've wanted to stock CB [channel/blue] hybrids in my pond but was worried about their voracious appetities crushing my other species' populations.
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:" "She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."
If you right click on the picture, then select properties, you have to cut & paste that into a reply and put [img] immediately before it and [/img] immediately after it.
Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:" "She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."
If you right click on the picture, then select properties, you have to cut & paste that into a reply and put [img] immediately before it and [/img] immediately after it.
Does this only work for IE? I use Firefox and this isn't an option for me?
Can you relate to us the affect these ultra predators are having on the remaining population of fish? I've wanted to stock CB [channel/blue] hybrids in my pond but was worried about their voracious appetities crushing my other species' populations.
TJ, Should you ever decide to place an order for the hybrids let me know.
I need to determine if they're going to crush my YP and SMB populations first. Bob did a story about BC virtually cleaning out a lake of LMB and became the dominant predator. I need to think this over...I will definitely be in touch RE these hybrids. I think I found a source way down south that sells them.
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
Thats a good question TJ. As of right now the pond owner is happy, yet questioning the future. Since I have been here (1 year). Him and I have been keeping some hook and line sampling data. We have yet to catch a LMB under 14 inches. The Wr on these fish is great, Upper 90's average. There are also BLG, and Golden Shiners present. The BLG are stunted at 5-7 inches, which is what he wanted as he wanted a primarily LMB fishery. The only problem is, he is seeing less and less bass, and they are all between 3-5 pounds. With the exception of an 11 pounder last summer (09). He says this is a definite decrease in numbers from previous years. Once again, according to the landowner, who only catches acouple of these blues a year. Says that they have really been packing on the weight the last 5 years or so. The fisheries researcher in me wants to cut open some blue stomachs to see if there is smaller LMB in them, which is what I suspect is happening. The BLG populations seem to be the same, and the golden shiners are thriving. So to answer your question, I think if he were to of put in more blue cats, he would be having bigger problems. I also suspect that this will continue, and could crash the bass pop. Has anyone else experienced anything like this with blue cats?
Fisheries Biologist Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
"Success is often overlooked because it dresses up in overalls and disguises itself as work."
That guy looks like he could swallow a 3 pound LMB whole. (the fish not tjstubbs).
JHAP ~~~~~~~~~~ "My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives." ...Hedley Lamarr (that's Hedley not Hedy)
Ask Marty about big cats in ponds. IMO the reason he sees less big LMB 4+ lbs is that is what the big BC are eating. Not sure the BC could eat a 10 LMB. Check the gape size of the BC. That is the only limiting factor to its feeding.
BC also eat big BG so that may be why you don't see many over 7 inches.
Thats a good question TJ. As of right now the pond owner is happy, yet questioning the future. Since I have been here (1 year). Him and I have been keeping some hook and line sampling data. We have yet to catch a LMB under 14 inches. The Wr on these fish is great, Upper 90's average. There are also BLG, and Golden Shiners present. The BLG are stunted at 5-7 inches, which is what he wanted as he wanted a primarily LMB fishery. The only problem is, he is seeing less and less bass, and they are all between 3-5 pounds. With the exception of an 11 pounder last summer (09). He says this is a definite decrease in numbers from previous years. Once again, according to the landowner, who only catches acouple of these blues a year. Says that they have really been packing on the weight the last 5 years or so. The fisheries researcher in me wants to cut open some blue stomachs to see if there is smaller LMB in them, which is what I suspect is happening. The BLG populations seem to be the same, and the golden shiners are thriving. So to answer your question, I think if he were to of put in more blue cats, he would be having bigger problems. I also suspect that this will continue, and could crash the bass pop. Has anyone else experienced anything like this with blue cats?
Bob wrote an article about this in a back issue of Pond Boss Magazine. Blue cats pretty much took over the fishery, and while the BC fishing was crazy, the rest of the fishery suffered, especially the LMB.
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
Based on the photos, I estimate the gape of the 30 lb BC (in dorsal view pic) is very close to the same as the width of tjstubbs' neck. The two largest barbels of BC sit at each corner of the mouth. Get someone to measure the width of tj's neck.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 05/20/1009:20 PM.
aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine - America's Journal of Pond Management
Good observation Bill. My neck width is right around 6.5 inches and I wear 17.5 inch neck collars on my dress shirt...So that blue could definitly do some damage on the bass populations.
Fisheries Biologist Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
"Success is often overlooked because it dresses up in overalls and disguises itself as work."
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