Channel catfish management

[snowwolfe]

Any of you guys have luck getting channel catfish to spawn? Been reading about different structures to build to give them a place to spawn but results seem to vary.
What have you tried that seemed to work?

[texassako]

We never wanted them to spawn. Always considered them a put and take fish in combination with a species of sunfish so I knew the pond was not overpopulated. A pond can only hold so many inches of fish and the big ones get hook shy real fast. We made sure there was no cave like structures such as culverts or old tires; so those are probably what you would want for them to spawn.

[oneokie]

As was mentioned, old tires, barrels with one end removed, hollow logs.

[Beagle333]

I stock mine in the usual put-and-take method. And even though there are several old wise ones in there over 12-14#, as far as I know they have never spawned..... but I always wondered what they did? :confused:
I guess they are just frustrated. [smilie=1:

[Bad Water Bill]

Since we do not know where you live it is hard to provide a good answer.

Some fish only spawn after being chilled (winter) some need a given range of temp.

Some need a sandy bottom or plants or a given amount of daylight or water flow.

Best thing is to check with your state biology folks for the real answers.

How many times have you seen those pretty goldfish swimming in your tank spawn?

Put the tank somewhere in the garage where the temp drops to about 40 for the whole winter and the same fish will have viable eggs everywhere when the temp rises to above 65.:bigsmyl2:

[snowwolfe]

Pond is in Tennessee. Not interested in what other fish need to spawn, just the channel cats.
Might try dropping in some concrete or clay drain pipe if I can find it.

[waksupi]

Drive an old car out on it in the winter, with the windows and trunk open. Drain fluids first. Spring will do the rest. A reef of old Christmas trees laid out work too.

[snowwolfe]

If I drove an old car out on it in the winter my wife would kill me! LOL

[Bad Water Bill]

Try your own dept of natural resources on just what you will need in order to spawn AND rear hatchlings.

I hate to see fry die because proper feed was not provided.

Catfish are one of the few I never tried to spawn but tried to show you just how many things are needed for a healthy spawn.

GOOD BY

[Fishman]

Texassako has the correct answer unless your lake exceeds 5 acres it so. Catfish in small ponds do spawn, But the offspring often don't recruit to the fishery because they are eaten by other predators such as largemouth bass. This is a good thing because if they did recruit, You would have a pond full of catfish heads attached to little skinny bodies. If you tried to feed them all up to eating size a fish kill would likely result, since biological oxygen demand would exceed the systems ability to provide it.

I hope this helps. It is best to buy the replacement catfish if you have a small pond with largemouth bass in it. Stick with 6"-8" fingerlings to reduce losses to your bass.

[snowwolfe]

Just added 50, 5-8 inch channel cats yesterday and they only cost $25 so it might be easier just to restock on occasion. Friend of mine will put in a few bass as soon as he catches some. Previous owner told me he stocked it with channel cats 4 years ago but I never seen one so suspect something ate them, either human, fish or critter.

Pond is about 1 acre and is almost overrun with frogs and their offspring, tad poles. Every time I walk the bank with each step I see 4-6 big tadpoles sneaking out from underneath the leaves in the water. Figure the bass would love the frogs and tadpoles. Plenty of bluegills and sunfish which are on the smallish side.

Also thinking about dropping in a bag of crayfish, thoughts?

[375RUGER]

They won't spawn until the water temp is 72*F, IIRC. They will be about 2-3 years old when they begin to breed.
Carbide cans or milk cans if you can get them make good containers. Anything about 5-8 gallons in size is about right. If you use some sort of pipe be sure to block one end off. Thing about cats is if there is nothing, they will just bore into the bank.
Whatever you place in the pond it only needs to be in 18-36" of water.
We always took the containers out after each breeding season so the cans wouldn't rust away so fast and they would then be clean to start over the next year.
With the bluegill you mention and potential bass your success will be limited due to predation of the eggs and fry.

[Fishman]

Crayfish are a fine idea.

I think you are on the right track. Hopefully the pond is at least 8' deep somewhere. You are right, the presence of tadpoles indicates a low density bass population.

If anyone has questions about pond management in the southeastern states please feel free to pm me. It is what I do when I can't goof off casting and shooting. :)

[texassako]

I figured I had seen a fisheries professional or two on here. Please don't make the mistake that one of our ponds was when we bought that place. You may think there is enough food for a few years, but a pond full of stunted fish are not fun. The $25 every couple of years is much cheaper.

[Beagle333]

.50 for 5-8 inchers! Gee, that's good. My local guy right up the road gets .75 for his. :neutral:

[Hogtamer]

waksupi, you might be a redneck....the mental picture....would you put the car on blocks first? Take the felt dice off that are hanging on the rearview mirror? Try to salvage the bumper sticker that says "DAMNIFIKNOW"? This is the best laugh I've had all month!

[starmac]

We ad a big old cat, we could see in the shallows of the pond once in a while, but could never catch him. We finally donned scuba gear and armed with a speargun went looking. We found him hanging out in an old car, and started to shoot, but he rolled up the window and locked the doors.

[TXGunNut]

All kidding aside, big cats do seem to like submerged cars. It's impossible to remove all the oil and grease from an old car short of removing the drive train and suspension so it's not a good plan for a pond. Most car/catfish stories involve a big lake and a dam.

[starmac]

They like them, or anything they can get inside of, but just don't use a dodge. Them catfish have been known to Chuck Norris them right out of there and go to another pond.

[TXGunNut]

I think they like old Plymouths tho. Family resemblance, I guess.

[runfiverun]

waksupi--redneck... now I get to have a good laugh.

[waksupi]

waksupi, you might be a redneck....the mental picture....would you put the car on blocks first? Take the felt dice off that are hanging on the rearview mirror? Try to salvage the bumper sticker that says "DAMNIFIKNOW"? This is the best laugh I've had all month!

Son, if you don't know by now that I'm a redneck, you ain't been attending the meetings!

[snowwolfe]

Crayfish are a fine idea.

I think you are on the right track. Hopefully the pond is at least 8' deep somewhere. You are right, the presence of tadpoles indicates a low density bass population.

If anyone has questions about pond management in the southeastern states please feel free to pm me. It is what I do when I can't goof off casting and shooting. :)

Thank you, I always appreciate your advice. Pond flows from shallow to a maximum depth of 12-14 feet. The one thing that always concerns me is the shallow end is fed by an underground spring and at the other end is the dam they built to form the pond. There is a constant flow of water in and water out.
We have plenty of space and was thinking of making the dam about a foot higher in hopes to slow the constant exchange of water.
Good or bad idea?

[Fishman]

Snowwolfe, I don't think it would make much difference one way or the other. You don't need the extra depth and the pond would probably just fill to the new level and overflow. I just wish we had that problem around here :) Lots of ponds are low here even after the spring rains.