Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Blue Catfish supplier for Indiana

I have a 1/2 acre pond which currently has only FHM and LCS. My plan was to add black crappie next followed by blue catfish. With this plan in mind, is there any downside to adding RES once the FHM and LCS population grows?

Update on 1/2 acre pond for blue catfish. Sunk the old backhoe rear tires. Lotus is spreading. Small fry present that are probably FHM, but could also be LCS. Still very few plants and little algae. Water level has held great, so I sunk the cable float on the drain valve. Will need to wait a while for the forage base to grow and get more plants growing before adding black crappie as the main forage for the blue catfish. Water still has the blue mineral color. Goes brown for a little while after heavy rain, but then clears.

Like to raise one like this!

https://www.omaha.com/outdoors/missouri-...3aafe79ef5.html

A fish like this one at Overton's is probably realistic...

THAT IS ONE FAT CAT at Overton's! Obviously fed, or overfed well.

Wonder if they would eat muskrats?

That's the way my blues look as well. It's crazy how thick they can become. Pigs.

Well, I have given up trying to find blue catfish in Indiana for my 3rd pond (about 1/3 acre). Will stock 10 CC, 10 black crappie, and 10 RES next spring. Hopefully, the CC will grow large and eat crappie. The FHM and lake chubsuckers have had 3 years to reproduce, but I have very few plants due to the hard clay bottom. Even my lotus is struggling. Will try to add some branch piles this fall or winter. Will hopefully finish up my 4th pond tomorrow and cap the bottom drain. I am not happy with the depth, but the bottom is unworkable due to springs that seep constantly from the side opposite the dam. Hopefully, I was successful sealing sand veins under the dam, but it was hard to keep the walls of the 2' wide core trench from filling with sand washed in by water trapped in the veins. Time will tell... It's been a long hall with my small equipment.

RAH,
I found a place with BC and they ship if you really want them.

http://www.zettsfishhatchery.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/CompleteCatalog.pdf

If my new pond fills up in time, my plan is to bucket stock around 6-8 mature Blue Cats next spring, and hopefully be able to cultivate some fingerlings to sell. Long term goal of having a "blue cats by mail" business, since I think there's a demand for them, but very few people carry them, and the ones that do, are either in TX or neighboring states, nothing on the east coast.

Heppy - Based on their catalog, Zetts appears to just sell 2 types of channel catfish (one they call "blue" channel catfish), but I appreciate you trying to help me out.

Earlier this year, I had Overton overnight me (5) blues and (5) channels.

The Blues are killing it in my pond.....in a good way.

Sure there was a cost to the overnight shipping of a cooler, but still.....if you want the blues, you can get them.

These fish had to be able to survive predation in a pond with 5 lb + LMB and over 10lb CCs, and Overton's was the only place I could get some fish of size.

Does Overton's ship blue catfish to Indiana? I can stock small fish since I do not have any large fish (biggest would be the lake chubsuckers and they have small mouths).

I don't see why not. They shipped them from Texas to Pennsylvania for me.

Sent them an inquiry. Thank you!
Update - They say that they do not ship.

RAH,
Have you tried the place below in MO?
They have blue catfish and I don’t give up.

http://osagecatfisheries.com/pond-stocking.asp

Tried to set up a purchase with a friend that visits this area, but after 3 years I have given up. Wish that a local fisherman who could definitively ID blue catfish might help out, but I am now thinking CC may be my only realistic option.

RAH I’m not sure why I didn’t think of this to begin with but I do have a source for you that travels through Indiana and previously was on Pond Boss Forum. I bought my TH feeder from him drum roll please……...

https://hbpondmanagement.com/fishstocking.html

Ask for Nate

Thank you again Heppy. I sent them a note on their website.
Update: Nate does not have the required VHS testing to cross state lines with blue catfish.

Are these the same as we catch on juggs on Grand Lake in OK? The friends I was with called them blues. We caught prolly 50 or so with an over night soak.

I am not sure what you're catching. I am not even sure that I can correctly ID blue catfish myself.

RAH if you can’t find the blue catfish, you may want to try the hybrid blue catfish. It sounds awesome!

https://hennekehatchery.com/hybrid-blue-catfish/

SRAC https://freshwater-aquaculture.exte...2019/08/Production_of_Hybrid_Catfish.pdf

Will reach out to Indiana catfishing group for help.

It sucks that Blue Cats haven't quite made it mainstream yet in the pond world. I think there's only like 3 suppliers in the entire US that have them, and all are pretty much in the same general area. There's definitely a demand, and a niche to be filled. What an awesome fish, for the catfish enthusiast.