Pond Boss Magazine
https://www.pondboss.com/images/userfiles/image/20130301193901_6_150by50orangewhyshouldsubscribejpeg.jpg
Advertisment
Newest Members
Shotgun01, Dan H, Stipker, LunkerHunt23, Jeanjules
18,451 Registered Users
Forum Statistics
Forums36
Topics40,899
Posts557,051
Members18,451
Most Online3,612
Jan 10th, 2023
Top Posters
esshup 28,407
ewest 21,474
Cecil Baird1 20,043
Bill Cody 15,110
Who's Online Now
2 members (Rainman, Bobbss), 458 guests, and 152 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Joined: Oct 2022
Posts: 5
P
Prokop Offline OP
OP Offline
P
Joined: Oct 2022
Posts: 5
First of all I apologize if I am in wrong section and asking stupid question.

Here is my situation. I have a small pond in Northern Virginia, 1/2 of an acre or so. The pond is fairly deep and never dries out since it is the starting point of a creek - or run as it is called here. We live at this place for 20 years and for 10 years I run an aerator in the pond. I also stocked the pond several times with channel catfish and minnows. I know the catfish are there - they come up for food. Also bluegills, of course.

The plan for the pond is and always was to grow catfish and eat them, but I can not get them out. Yes, I admit I suck at fishing. grin Like this year I caught several bluegills and nothing else I tried store bought bait, chicken liver, chicken meat that sat with the chicken liver and stunk to heaven - nothing.

The biggest thing I caught this year was a 12" snapper - and it broke free before I got it out. I was not really unhappy about that, since I did not feel unhooking a snapper would be a pleasant experience.

So, I am looking for advice on a trap or any legal way to catch and sort out my fish. Or how to use fishing rod better, maybe its just me. I would not mind getting a bucket or two of bluegills* out and of course catfish is the primary goal here.


* Bluegills I use to make fish soup stock.

Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 3,245
Likes: 583
F
Lunker
Offline
Lunker
F
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 3,245
Likes: 583
Prokop,

Welcome to Pond Boss!

I am an amateur, so this is not expert advice.

There have been lots of threads on Pond Boss that demonstrate that sometimes the best way to "fix" a pond is to start over from scratch.

Usually that involves draining the pond, OR partially draining the pond and then adding a chemical to kill all of the existing fish. (Typically rotenone.)

That may be too radical for your plans, but it would give you excellent control of your pond going forward.

I believe it is difficult to manage a pond with only BG and channel cats. The BG have the opportunity to produce too many offspring and then all of the fish in the pond may become stunted.

Have you tried not feeding for 3-4 days prior to your fishing attempts? Many of the people with automatic feeders say they turn off their feeders prior to a planned fishing effort.

Hopefully, one of our actual experts will drop into your thread for some good advice.


Good luck on managing your pond to match your goals!

Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,746
Likes: 33
J
Offline
J
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,746
Likes: 33
Have the catfish been caught and released before?

Joined: Oct 2022
Posts: 5
P
Prokop Offline OP
OP Offline
P
Joined: Oct 2022
Posts: 5
Originally Posted by jludwig
Have the catfish been caught and released before?


I think I caught 3 or 4 cats over the years and there was no release - only fillets smile

Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,110
Likes: 476
B
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
B
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 15,110
Likes: 476
IMO the best way to catch those CC in around a 1/2 ac pond is to bait them and then use the bait pieces on a unweighted hook on the bottom and strong line of 12 lb or 14lb test. Try using fresh killed small BG so they sink in your baited area. Big CC like to eat weakened easy to catch small BG fished on or near the bottom. Size of BG bait should be appropriate to size of catfish. Youtube should have lots of CC angler ideas.

Last edited by Bill Cody; 10/10/22 09:55 AM.

aka Pond Doctor & Dr. Perca Read Pond Boss Magazine -
America's Journal of Pond Management
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 13,685
Likes: 281
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Hall of Fame 2014
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Hall of Fame 2014
Lunker
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 13,685
Likes: 281
We've caught a big channel cat in our neiborhood pond using an imitation feed pellet on a fly rod. Once.

But, we don't typically fish that way, so maybe it could work on a few different fish.

On the fly rod, there was no tippet. We were on the leader, at probably less than 2/3 of the original leader length left, so a very stout line.


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."

Joined: Oct 2022
Posts: 5
P
Prokop Offline OP
OP Offline
P
Joined: Oct 2022
Posts: 5
Thank you, guys. I will try every suggestion.

Does anybody have an experience with fish traps?

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,407
Likes: 788
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Offline
Moderator
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,407
Likes: 788
Originally Posted by Prokop
Thank you, guys. I will try every suggestion.

Does anybody have an experience with fish traps?


We use a fyke net to sample fish in ponds, you can catch a lot of fish in them.


www.hoosierpondpros.com


http://www.pondboss.com/subscribe.asp?c=4
3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).
Joined: Oct 2022
Posts: 5
P
Prokop Offline OP
OP Offline
P
Joined: Oct 2022
Posts: 5
Originally Posted by esshup
Originally Posted by Prokop
Thank you, guys. I will try every suggestion.

Does anybody have an experience with fish traps?


We use a fyke net to sample fish in ponds, you can catch a lot of fish in them.


Thank you, I will look it up.


Link Copied to Clipboard
Today's Birthdays
Bob Lusk, GaryK, GrizzFan, PhotographerDave
Recent Posts
Happy Birthday Bob Lusk!!
by Rainman - 03/28/24 02:53 AM
Relative weight charts in Excel ? Calculations?
by Mark Dyer - 03/27/24 10:18 PM
Reducing fish biomass
by esshup - 03/27/24 06:17 PM
New 2 acre pond stocking plan
by esshup - 03/27/24 06:05 PM
1 year after stocking question
by esshup - 03/27/24 06:02 PM
Questions and Feedback on SMB
by Donatello - 03/27/24 03:10 PM
Paper-shell crayfish and Japanese snails
by Bill Cody - 03/27/24 10:18 AM
Brooder Shiners and Fry, What to do??
by esshup - 03/27/24 08:47 AM
2024 North Texas Optimal BG food Group Buy
by Dave Davidson1 - 03/27/24 08:15 AM
Dewatering bags seeded to form berms?
by esshup - 03/26/24 10:00 PM
Freeze Danger? - Electric Diaphragm Pump
by esshup - 03/26/24 09:47 PM
Newly Uploaded Images
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
by Tbar, December 10
Deer at Theo's 2023
Deer at Theo's 2023
by Theo Gallus, November 13
Minnow identification
Minnow identification
by Mike Troyer, October 6
Sharing the Food
Sharing the Food
by FishinRod, September 9
Nice BGxRES
Nice BGxRES
by Theo Gallus, July 28
Snake Identification
Snake Identification
by Rangersedge, July 12

� 2014 POND BOSS INC. all rights reserved USA and Worldwide

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5