They are getting active and very hungry again. I fed them during the last polar vortex and they looked like they were swimming in molasses.

Very nice Sir.

Chanel or Blues ? Either way good eating!

They are looking good.

Those will be fun to catch.

Channel cats.

Boy, if that ain’t livin’ the dream, I don’t know what is.

Get out the Ivory Soap!

How long till you might have to replenish the stock?

Not this year for sure. I lost a few to blue herons but that’s about it. My turtle trap constantly puts in work.

Restocking is an educational character builder. You have to restock with new fish that are about 40% to 60% the size of the existing ones or you lose too many to predation by the original ones. It’s tough to do but the best chance of success, according to Bob Lusk (the Pond Boss) is to rotenone the whole thing and start over with small bluegills, too many fathead minnows, a battery operated feeder and pray for rain. After a year, restock bass so the predator/prey relationship doesn’t get out of whack.

The toughest part is killing off existing fish and starting over the next year after the dead ones rot and your water quality returns re Ph and alkilinity.

Why the hell would he want to kill all his fish and start over?

I let things work themselves out naturally and have never had a problem. I don’t want it to feel like work.

I feel like there’s some wisdom in this post, but I just don’t know what the hell you’re saying.

It’s correct information but it’s a little complicated for me because my pond runs over every spring into Lake Whitney and a variety of fish swim upstream into it. I just add some catfish occasionally and the rest of everything does their thing.

So you are close enough to the lake and have enough water flow for small fish to swim upstream from the lake and into your pond, also do you have a Perennial or wet weather creek that flows into your pond?
My understanding of Channel cats is they have to have a certain amount of water flow to spawn.

NTX, I think you’re hosed. No way to control something like that. Of course, I have a similar but different problem. You keep a good water supply. OTOH, I own a mountain where the clouds split before I can get wet.

Guys, here’s the deal. It’s all about the predator prey relationship. Bass and bluegills are about like coyotes and rabbits. It’s called symbiotic. Rabbits need coyotes like bluegills need bass. One gets fed by the other. And the predator keeps the prey from over consuming its food supply. A pond full of bluegills will over spawn, foul the water(environment) and cause an O2 crash killing everything. Rabbits without coyotes will over eat the grass and forbs. It’s all about balance. Then you have neither yotes, fawns or rabbits.

Admittedly, coyotes don’t stop at rabbits and hit fawns. But, if you ever see a 3 year drought, you’ll have starving prey and predators. Those in Montague County will remember the 3 or 4 year drought and the results to wildlife.

Stub, a catfish doesn’t need running water to spawn. Running water is good because it helps aeration but sun and wave action also helps. My cats spawn every year but only a very small fraction of the fish eggs laid and hatched live long enough to mature and also spawn. Mine spawn every year in my ponds but are all eaten by grateful predators. And I only get occasional rains.

Only about 1% of the eggs laid, hatched, etc, live long enough to reproduce.

Guys, go to the Pond Boss website. You’ll learn a lot. I’ve been doing this for over 40 years and will never stop learning. Also, keep screwing up.

Water quality trumps everything else and it’s dependent on rain, SOIL mixture that effects water quality and management. water quality is mostly about O2, PH and alkilinity.

Like Dave said my catfish spawn every year in my tank. I’ve put in breeding holes for them(round containers) when born they swim in groups making them easy prey I am fortunate enough to have a couple of holes that I can net quite a few out and transfer them to a water hole so they can grow.

I don’t feel hosed. I buy about 150 bucks of catfish every few years and get free bass, crappie, sunfish and minnows from the lake. Like I said I don’t treat it like it’s work and always have plenty of fish to catch.