Stocking catfish

[Trout Wrangler]

A friend of mine wants to stock his 2 acre pond with catfish and can't decide whether to go with channel catfish or blue catfish. Which would you go with.

[kim e cooper]

Channel cat would be great for a small pond blues need a little more room .Good luck and let me know how it goes. Coop.

[shadslinger]

http://www.meadowlarkponds.com/fish.htm

Check out Meadowlarks web site.

[RAYSOR]

Only channels, blues are a great fish but will take over your tank and eat most all in it.

[catfishcaldwell81]

Definitely channel cats. Less trouble in the long run

[obiewan57]

Just be sure to feed them, especially if there are other fish in the pond. I once sold 10,000 fish to one brother, who put them in one acre, averaging 10 foot deep, no other fish in the pond. The other brother put 2000 fish in 2-3 acre pond averaging 5 foot deep, with bass and perch in the pond. The 10,000 were fed Hops, among other feed and in two years were pushing 8-10#...the 2,000 received no extra feed other than what was in the lake, and in 2 years were 2# or less.

So, if you are not going to feed them, be sure not to overstock.

[Meadowlark]

I've run into many people who say "I wish I had never stocked catfish in my pond" The reasons given are 1) they compete for food with the LMB and BG
2) you can buy them live anywhere around Livingston for far less than it costs to grow them in a pond...just over $1 per pound.

I'm not saying don't stock them....just asking you to be sure. If you ever intend to have a LMB fishery, then be very cautious about stocking catfish.

Blues can actually outcompete LMB in a pond, flatheads are even worse. One flathead can just about empty a pond. Channels are more diversity friendly, i.e. if you want other fish like LMB and BG then channels would be the lesser threat.

If you only want catfish and aren't concerned about ever wanting LMB then stock which ones you like the best...blues will get larger if that is a consideration.