I was looking through the state records for North Carolina, and noticed that 10 of them come from private ponds/lakes, including: Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Bluegill, Green Sunfish, Flier, Redear Sunfish, Warmouth, Common Carp, Grass Carp, and White Crappie. It got me thinking about trying to grow one myself.
Has anyone ever tried it?
After thinking about it, the species I'd try isn't on this list, and that's the White Catfish. The NC state record is 13 pounds. The world record is 22 pounds (California). I think it would be a good candidate because it's one of the most misidentified catfish species, and I've seen a couple Youtubers catch a state record White Cat, and unknowingly release it because they thought it was a Channel or Blue Catfish. I'd have to start them out via bucket stocking, which has its own set of obstacles, but I know of a lake that is loaded with them, and I've caught them in the 6-8 pound range before. I think if I could put them on pellets from a fingerling size, I could grow one bigger than 13 pounds. Interestingly enough, White Cats see similar growth to Channel Cats for the first 4 years, before CC take over. White Cats are also in the bullhead family, and don't need special structure to spawn in a pond. I might give it a shot, but its something fun to think about!
