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BY STEVE RYAN*

CHANNEL CATFISH ARE AMONG THE most popu- lar across the country. They fight hard, grow big, and are as tasty as they come. Further adding to their popularity, they can tolerate a range of water quality and are adaptable to most any setting including small ponds. All these factors make a natural choice Camong pond owners and lake managers. For most pond owners, channel serve a three-fold purpose. Primarily, they’re a food source. Not for other fish but for pond owners on a put-and-take basis. Chan- nel catfish are ideal for this purpose because they are readily available and cheap to buy from fish farms and hatcheries across the country. They also can be quickly grown to eating size with basic management practices. Besides their food value, the sporting nature of catfish is another reason for adding them to a pond. Cats reign in pulling power and stamina. It’s the fish that generates more smiles and fish stories among young and old anglers alike. And for good reason—double-digit channel cats are common in well-managed ponds and some giants exist in ponds across the country, including the Washington state record of 36.2 pounds. The prospect of growing and catching trophy-size catfish from ponds as small as a half-acre should get anyone’s attention. Catfish also can be stocked to help keep a multispecies pond in balance. Catfish are nature’s cleaners and help by scavenging dead fish that appear on a daily basis in ponds. They also help to control recruitment of panfish that can become overpopulated and stunted if not kept in check by predators. RECIPES FOR SUCCESS Multispecies ponds are often stocked with a mix of largemouth , , and channel catfish. The

MANAGING PONDS FOR TOP-NOTCH CATFISHING

HOMEGROWN34 ❙ CATFISH GUIDE typical stocking rates are 50 bass, 500 Since channels have an average life that provides resistance against dis- , and 50 catfish per surface expectancy of 12 to 14 and can ease for all fish in the pond. Since acre. In ponds with good water qual- live over 20, you can see the potential catfish also eat plants, insects, crus- ity and a rigorous feeding program for growing big fish.” taceans, and fish, they’re relatively these numbers can be doubled. These Since money is almost always a inexpensive to grow.” stocking rates assume a “fresh” pond factor, a feeding program should Establish a daily feeding program setting that is devoid of any other fish maximize results for minimal costs. with a directional feeder like the apart from baitfish that help sustain For starters, Herman suggests a Texas Hunter LM135 that can be pro- the initial fish stocking. Also, with a high- fish food that is utilized grammed to disperse food at multi- feeding program, the growth rate of by all fish in the pond and helps them ple times a day for pre-set lengths of fish is accelerated. grow quickly. “We use Purina Mills time. Position feeders on platforms Nate Herman operates Her- Fish Chow because chan- on the upwind side of the pond to man Brothers Pond Management nel catfish are omnivorous, eating allow fish more time to eat before the in central Illinois. Working with his both plants and . It’s a float- floating feed drifts to shore. brother, Justin, they offer compre- ing, 32-percent protein feed that also hensive management services benefits bluegills much more than to pond owners across the country. traditional grain-based catfish Having known Nate for years, I’ve feed. Catfish convert this food come to understand his philoso- at an amazing 2.2:1 weight-gain phies of pond management and that ratio—meaning that 2.2 pounds of he’s most excited about his job when consumed Chow trans- pushing the envelope of what’s possi- lates into 1 pound of fish weight- ble in ponds. He says there are three gain. Game Fish Chow also delivers limiting factors to achieving any goal a better catfish flavor and includes in pond management—water quality, vitamins and a balanced nutrition feed, and money—and with enough money you can typically overcome the first two. > Supplemental feeding with a high- To have a healthy pond that grows protein diet can more than double channel catfish to large sizes quickly, growth rates of catfish. Herman says a disciplined feed- ing program must be implemented. “Since catfish are relatively cheap to buy from hatcheries, we recommend that our clients start with 8- to 12-inch stocker-size fish that retail for about $1 each,” he says. “This larger size promotes survival. Smaller finger- lings are susceptible to by bass, and panfish can whip through catfish fry quickly. With a feeding program, 12-inch channels have the opportunity to grow two pounds per and be eater size within the first year. Without a feeding program, growth rate is less than half that.

MANAGING PONDS FOR TOP-NOTCH CATFISHING > > > > > > HOMEGROWNOCTOBER / NOVEMBERCATS 2013 IN-.COM 35 “This stocking-harvest scenario creates multiple ages of catfish, and avoids a situation of too many big catfish. Since old catfish that have been caught several times can be the trickiest fish to catch, having multiple ages present with ‘young and dumb’ catfish is the key to high catch rates.” Herman prefers a closed pond system that lacks natural reproduc- tion of channel cats. With a closed system, you can accurately chart how many fish are stocked and harvested. Maintaining healthy populations of panfish and bass can keep catfish recruitment low if they reproduce naturally. For pond owners seeking to encourage catfish reproduction, panfish stocking should be avoided. You also might substitute hybrid bluegills or another panfish species like redears that don’t reproduce as successfully as bluegills in ponds. In addition, catfish spawning habitat such as barrels, pipes, and rockpiles with crevices could be added. Herman says that if your interests include (hand grabbling), > Great fishing awaits. A new catfish pond being filled. Note the cover submerge 10- to 12-inch diameter structures and automatic feeder. pipes or 30-gallon barrels in 3 to 6 feet water. Noodlers reach into these structures hoping a big clamps Catfish learn quickly and within have warmed. Catfish feed and put down on their hands. With a firm a few weeks become feed-trained. A on weight best when water tempera- grasp on the fish’s mouth, the cat is school of catfish with their mouths tures are above 70°F. Below 55°F, pulled from its lair. open as they swim on the surface digestion and metabolism decrease vacuuming up floating food might significantly. I advise my clients to BEYOND CHANNEL seem unnatural, but they quickly discontinue feeding below 55°F.” CATS adapt to this feeding technique. In While catfish can survive in mar- Since he is always looking to fact, a larger percentage of floating ginal conditions, good water quality expand options for his customers, food gets eaten by fish than sinking helps maximize biomass of big fish. Herman has begun substituting blue pellets that quickly fall through the “If sufficient wind doesn’t reach the catfish for channel cats in ponds water column and settle in weeds pond, you may need an aeration sys- where appropriate. The allure is that and sediment. tem to circulate the water. It’s rec- blues grow larger and do equally Since intense feeding can be ommended to ‘turn over’ the bottom well in a wide range of tempera- costly, overfeeding should be and top water in a pond at least once tures. He’s started to experiment avoided. To determine if the appro- every 24 hours. Water that doesn’t cir- with mixing blue cats, , and priate amount of feed is being used, culate can become stagnant and lead bass. The goal is to produce quality track how much the fish eat in 20 to low dissolved oxygen, stress fish, crappies that are kept in check by minutes and subtract the amount decrease growth rates, increase dis- the blue cats and bass. that remains from the next feed- ease potential, and cause die-offs.” “Since blues are piscivorous— ing. If no food remains on the sur- He says one of the biggest mis- mainly eating fish and —we face after 20 minutes, increase the takes in managing catfish in ponds use Purina Mills Aquamax 600 feed amount until the right quantity is is failing to harvest and restock cat- in blue cat ponds,” he says. “Aqua- reached. Unconsumed food also can fish as needed. “Ideally, to keep catch max is a fishmeal-based 40-percent reduce water quality by depleting rates high, stock channel catfish protein feed. Fish can become con- dissolved oxygen as it decomposes. every year. A minimum of 30 percent ditioned to eating most anything Water temperature and time of of catfish should be harvested each from dog food to bread to leftovers, day also factor into how much food year and 35 percent restocked each but growth rates go through the roof should be used. Herman explains, year, or double that every two years. when the correct feed is used. With “The optimum time for feeding If a stocking regimen of 100 catfish a good forage base and Aquamax fish is in the afternoon and eve- per acre is adhered to, the math is feed, we can grow blues at a rate of ning when dissolved oxygen levels simple and it’s a matter of harvesting 4 to 7 pounds per year. Blues in the are highest and water temperatures fish and keeping good records. 30- to 40-pound range aren’t out of

36 ❙ CATFISH GUIDE the question, they’re expected. The ponds to experiment on. But I advise showing up more in ponds across largest obstacle to blue cats in ponds my customers to stick with channels the country. Thirty-pounders could is the lack of supply. There are few and blues.” be just outside your back door in the hatcheries producing blues for pond With sound management advice near future. ■ stocking, but supply will eventually and a disciplined approach to har- catch up with demand.” vesting, restocking, and feeding *In-Fisherman Field Editor Steve Ryan, While some pond owners are fish, catfish are a fun and produc- Des Plaines, Illinois, is an avid multi- “bucket biologists,” transporting wild tive addition to any pond. They can species angler and contributes to all fish from lakes and rivers to private be raised to trophy size with other In-Fisherman publications. You’d just ponds, many states have laws against fish species in a balanced pond set- as likely see him catching pond cats in this practice, often to help control the ting or as the primary species for Illinois as you would Giant Mekongs in spread of exotic species and VHS, a a steady supply of catfish dinners. . Contact Nate Herman at Her- deadly infectious disease caused by Channels are the popular pond cat, man Brothers Lake and Land Manage- the hemorrhagic septicemia virus. but don’t be surprised to see blues ment, hbpondmanagement.com. Flatheads might be a tempting option in ponds, but transplanting them may be illegal. Some states like Kentucky still permit commercial fishermen to sell live fish that are caught in public waters to private fishing clubs. Herman says that flatheads are more difficult to manage in ponds than channels and blues. “Large adult flatheads that have spent their lives in rivers can have a difficult time feed- ing in a small closed system without current. They also don’t take well to a pelleted feed program and it becomes difficult to manage them. I’ve avoided managing ponds with flatheads. This may change slightly since my acqui- sition of the Giant Goose Ranch near Canton, Illinois, with 52 lakes and

> Programmable feeders reduce waste, lower costs, and can help improve water quality.