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catfish vs. bass in pond ??
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Author:  sid [ Tue Apr 08, 2003 4:56 pm ]
Post subject:  catfish vs. bass in pond ??

I have a 2 acre pond with plenty of bass and crappie . I would much rather stock it with channel cat that are about 8-10" long. Can the catfish and bass coexist and both do good or should I just have one or the other. the pond is about 25 to 30 ft. deep and has lots of good cover. [/b]

Author:  banot [ Wed Apr 09, 2003 10:22 am ]
Post subject: 

I imagine you should be okay. My family went fishing a few times at a lake about that size (2 acres), and it was stocked with bass, catfish, and other fish. I'm no expert at fish, but this is my best guess.

banot

Author:  Tony M* [ Wed Apr 09, 2003 8:55 pm ]
Post subject: 

Sid-
I got a quote years ago for stocking my pond. The process was to eliminate all the existing fish and restock it with a relatively even ratio of catfish, black bass and brim. Each have a role to play in the health of your pond and each co-exist just fine. I think the key was to stock them at specific sizes to avoid immediate predation. If you have 3-5 lb bass in the pond now and you dump a bunch of fingerlings in, you will probably have 5-6 pound bass and not many fingerlings. There are several people in the area who do this type of work.

Author:  sunkist3190 [ Sun Apr 20, 2003 7:43 am ]
Post subject:  catfish/bass

i've raised catfish/bass in ponds much smaller than your 2 acres. they work very well together. the trick is to use the bigger fingerlings as you said you were. like tony said if their smaller the bass'll be realllllly happy.

Author:  dustoff79 [ Tue Sep 23, 2003 1:00 pm ]
Post subject: 

Yes, that is the common stocking for good use of a pond. I would also throw in some short sections of clay pipe (various diameters) for the catfish to spawn in. If you have the good cover you say you should be ok on predation by the bass. You also should add Bluegill. NOT Green Sunfish or other species of Sunfish. Bluegill are a good food for the Bass, they do not compete with the Bass. Sunfish have larger mouths, more agressive, grow larger, and love to eat Bass Fry. I remove all sunfish (good fertilizer for your plants or compost pile) I catch in my two ponds. I do not know many ponds that do not have them. Good info on stocking ponds can be found at your local Extension service or through Tx Parks and Wildlife or Tx A&M University.

Author:  user_48634 [ Fri Oct 03, 2003 8:16 pm ]
Post subject: 

Another good trick is to build in a place for fingerlings to escape to where the predators can't get them. If the big fish can always find the little ones, you'll never get any kind of self sustainment going. One idea I've read is to put an oak pallet on the bottom and either tie it down or cover it with enough rocks to keep if from floating. That gives the young a chance to get away and grow to a size where they can defend themselves with speed and size.

Author:  chuckfranke [ Thu Nov 13, 2003 9:02 am ]
Post subject: 

Please call me if you want someone to cull the larger bass out for you free of charge :-)

Author:  user_48634 [ Fri Nov 14, 2003 2:50 pm ]
Post subject: 

I missed the clay pipe suggestion earlier. I like that one better than my suggestion for a pallet. Old stumps work, too.

Author:  Tony M* [ Fri Nov 14, 2003 8:16 pm ]
Post subject: 

Go ahead and laugh at this but I saw a fishing show years ago where they were trying to establish cover for black bass to hide behind. Black bass are top predator fish and they hunt by ambush. This small lake was like a bathtub with no natural cover.
The guides went to a place where ceramic toilets were made and asked for some reject bowls. They threw one in the water and marked it with a buoy. They went to different parts of the lake and did the same thing. After completing their task they started fishing near the first bowl and caught a fish almost immediately.
Ceramic bowls don't break down, don't pollute and apparently didn't cost much. And unlike some kind of wood structure, you can't get your hook caught in it.
I think the name of the show was, "bowling for bass". Just kidding, true story.
Tony M

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