Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Flatheads

What's the verdict on adding flathead catfish.. I was thinking they might be cool/good for a pond since they like live fish and wouldn't pound the pellets like channel cats.. Also what about bluecats I'm not really familiar with their diet? Just wondering I know the catfish are starting to spawn, and I'll be jugging for the next few weeks so I know I'll have access to plenty of flatheads pretty much any size aswell, usually catch a few blues too.. Just wondering what the boss's thought I'm sure it's been asked before, but I didn't wanna search

Flatheads as you know are highly predacious... They have very large gapes, perhaps even bigger than LMB. They are very effective predators and in drainages where they are not native are wiping out native fish populations. Ask any fisherman that fishes for redbreast sunfish in the southeast, they'll tell you the flatheads have about wiped them out. Because they can attain large sizes, there is risk they will begin eating fish bigger than you want them to.

The Virginia Dept of Game and Inland Fisheries stocked 38 flathead catfish in to a 68 acre fishing reservoir in an attempt to control over abundant bullheads and sunfish. Within 4 years, the bullhead numbers were way down and the average size had gone up. The sunfish number weren't quite as impressive, but still improved. Just know that flatheads could easily push 30+ pounds and will often times eat what you don't want them too along with taking up biomass and eating forage you may want for bass.

Blue cats are similar to CC in some ways. When young, say under 8 pounds, they are more scavengers. As they get larger though, they become almost purely predacious in nature. Again, they will compete with bass for food and take up biomass. Bluecats will also push large sizes. A 20 pound CC would be a big fish in anyone's book, a 20 pound blue cat isn't typically considered very big.

We have 60# plus blue and flatheads in all four of our ponds and we dont allow anyone to keep our bluegill or bass and we still have plenty of them i mean plenty its nothing for a kid to catch 20 bluegill in a day so they really wont hurt and are super fun to catch. The blues are more fun cause they will roll and flip like channels where flatheads just swim to the bottom and lay there until they see you then they start to fight. It will take 5-7 years to get very big we have done research on tagged fish they grow bout 1-3 lbs. a years so go for it they are a blast.

Did you mean, you let everyone keep bluegill and bass or don't let anyone keep bluegill or bass? And what size ponds are you keeping them in?

Anyone else have experience with these?

The way I read it is they are exclusively C & R when it comes to the BG and LMB. More food for the flatties I suppose.

Kinda confusing though lol.. I'd still like to here from some other guys on this?

We are C&R only and its because we are very family oriented and kids love catching bluegill and thats wat we are geared toward.

What would be the recommended stocking rate for blues and flats per acre.. I have a 3.5 acre pond..

Here are a few threads. The stocking #s for me are a great big 0.

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=123793&page=1

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=185975&page=1

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=218034&page=1

Adding flatheads into a pond would be like stocking a mountain lion in with the sheep herd. Yea it is cool to see the lion around but.....

Ha I like that comparison.. What about just a few of each? You don't think they could pick up some of the slack for the LMB?

Bluegillkiller: When I was beginning to build my big pond (17 acres or so), a friend tried to convince me to not put any catfish in it. 8 years later, I'm thinking I should have listened. Frankly, I wouldn't stock any. If I did want to stock something like that to cut down on bullheads or green sunfish or for some definite purpose, I think I would stock one blue and one flathead and hope no one else did likewise.

PS: I love Bill's analogy!

LMB will be sheep to the 20lbs+ Flathead.

I don't think flatheads are for everyone... You just need to understand the risks involved. If you are willing to take the risk, then stock no more than just a few. Just realize the fishing for them will be poor as there won't be many of them, but they will impact your fishery greatly.

We have mainly catfish in all four of our ponds and we still have way to many bluegill. Im talking 60 plus pound cats, we have catfish tournaments every weekend and its nuthing for people to catch 35 cats above 15 lbs. from our expereince they really dont eat alot so if your tryin to cut population alil i would say they are perfect but im no expert. Weve owned our ponds for 13 years and always have way to many bluegill we catch out atleast 100 from each pond to use for bait and you still see hundreds when you walk the shore line.

Chase, what's your bass populations in those ponds? And are your bluegill stunted? Seems like I'd have to sacrifice both my GOOD bluegill population and GOOD bass population for the big cats.
Also CJ I wasn't really putting them in for fishing purposes (even though they'd be cool too hook into once in awhile) I was just wanting something to eat bluegill my ponds being manages for Goliath gills so I want as many little guys out as possible.. Just wanted another predator besides the LMB..

If you did stock them, I would fish them out once they hit the 10-15 mark. After that, they'd be eating BG you'd rather keep for your table or let grow more...

You want something to thin out your smaller bluegill? Invest in or build 1-3 good fish traps. Larger traps work well. Traps can even be set with lead lines to catch even more fish per set. That way you control what is removed, plus you learn more about the population structure by seeing the sizes and numbers of fish you are catching (year class strength).
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=259781#Post259781

We have a good LMB population we have some 4-5 pounders in them all. Bill's idea is probly how I would go though honestly. Research will help you more than you can think. I try everyway i can to research our cats but it get hard because we have so many.

Chase: It'd be real interesting to have someone electrofish your ponds.

Yea I agree i just dont know anyone that could do it?

I think the closest outfit to us is called Virginia Lake Management out of, if you can imagine, Virginia! They do advertise that they work here in our area, Chase, so that may be an option. Outside of them, I have never heard of anyone in this area that does it.

Now Virginia lake management called solitude lake management. Great folks. Remember thou we travel the SE shocking. West miss to Virginia just this last year. When folls are interested let us know if time is right piggyback on a job going your direction Keep in mind however shocking is not great for catfish capture. We got several up yesterday but many times they get hit and fall to bottom.

I think what is happening here is the cats are being pulled before they eat all the bluegill but they are limiting the bass somewhat. Do you also catch lots of smal bass I'm guessing not. This is why you still have lots of bluegill and se good bass sizes.

Good to know we might be able to entice you up this way some time, Greg!

Very Intresting subject..

Chase, I have a couple of questions that would REALLY help me alot. I am have just a terrible time with my Blue cat.

1. Do you have thread fin shad in your lake? If not how did you grow your cats so big?
2. What size were they when you stocked them?
3. How big is the lake?

I will tell my story in another thread but I have some SERIOUS issue that I need help with..