In fact, having both species in your pond ensures all the resource will be … The common belief about catfish is that ol' Mr. Whiskers scavenges off the pond's bottom and will eat just about anything that he can swallow. Bass fingerlings should be available to add by May or June, he said. 2. Channels will spawn successfully just about anywhere, but fry survival in small ponds/lakes is near zero, due to the high density of predators like bluegill and bass. Four flathead catfish were stocked after initial water samples were taken. Fathead minnows seldom reach lengths greater than 3 inches, and therefore provide very little benefit when stocked as a forage fish into established ponds. If you have an excess of Bass or Catfish they will reduce your Bluegill population to the point of needing to be restocked each year. Another reason is algae and other food that attract baitfish doesn’t grow very well on plastic. Stocking catfish should be ready to add by July or August. Enjoy more time down at your pond for free. “This is an especially large risk during hot summer nights. The newly stocked bass fingerlings will usually consume fathead minnows first and predate on them until they disappear. One of the biggest mistakes pond owners make is stocking all their baitfish and sportfish at once, Sink said. We won't compromise your quality for our bottom line. Then again, maybe you are lucky enough to have a pond that will allow both to flourish. I want the bass, not the catfish. Forty nutrients have been identified as necessary for the normal metabolic function of channel catfish. Stocking more bass will never be necessary, unless there is a fish kill, because bass typically overpopulate in ponds, he said. Sportfish should be added the next spring and early summer, Sink said. Greg, I have a problem with bass crowded ponds. Landowners with fish in their ponds can add crushed agricultural limestone, or ag lime, to correct alkalinity or pH issues without creating adverse conditions for fish populations. They will find enough food for … Based on current knowledge, a digestible energy to crude protein … Yes, bass love nightcrawlers! Largemouth bass are hunters that like to stalk and catch their meal. But, if you’re the kind of angler who likes the thrill of working a frog on the surface to land an explosive top water bite, you’re going for bass. Catfish may spawn in such ponds, but adult bass consume most, if not all, catfish fry and fingerlings. Channel catfish will eat almost anything, but they prefer insects, small fish, and crayfish. “But adding catfish or bass means baitfish will be eaten before they ever have a chance to spawn. This spring 2020, she caught a 7 1/2, 9, and 9 3/4 lb in one hour. Download our catalog to look at our latest products for 2020. Largemouth bass use the entire water column to search for their next meal. Sportfish should be added the next spring and early summer, Sink said. In a well-established and balanced pond, you shouldn't need to feed the bass. Eventually the ponds are overrun,” he said. Also, catfish generally do not reproduce well in ponds that contain bass, so they are not likely to overpopulate; provided they are stocked at a low density. There are many species of Bass to choose from. Supplemental feed should be provided two to three times per week. This pond had a good largemouth bass population but had black bullheads stunted at a size the bass could not eat. “After a few years, all the large fish in the pond will have died off or have been harvested, and the remaining fish in the pond are all stunted at a size too small for sport or food harvest. Pond #2 was one acre in size. These pellets will remain on the bottom and allow the bluegill to feed slowly on the offering. Stocking rates vary from conservative 50-100/acre rates for low competition in bass ponds, up to 1000/acre in your dedicated catfish production pond. If you do though be sure to stock probably twice or more times a year with sunfish and minnows. Topic: catfish eating bass? Despite some conflicting literature, a Hybrid Stiped Bass Performance Pond can be set up two ways 1) with 100% Hybrid Striped Bass, a feed plan and aeration or 2) stocking large bluegill in concert with Hybrid Striped Bass fingerlings and a feed plan and aeration. Thing is, a lot of fishermen and pond and lake owners like to fish both, so it’s no surprise that we are often asked if it is possible to stock both cats and bass in the same pond. For farmers that purchase fingerlings, these losses can be crippling to their business and this article shows how to … You can have your cake and eat it too! Typically, the bluegill and perhaps some other forage fish are established first, with the bass added later so that upon release they will have prey to eat. He recommends first adding 5-15 pounds of fathead minnows per acre following the phytoplankton bloom. That means more crappie survive, and the next couple of years there are even more crappie spawning, he said. Catfish and Bass: Keeping Both in the Same Pond, Bass Growth Comparison in Managed versus Unmanaged Lakes/Ponds, Maximizing Pond Stockings with Electrofishing, The Cost of Stocking a Pond with "Free" Fish. But like many things in life, good things come to those who wait. So, you have to ask which is more important to you, 300 additional pounds of bass and bluegill or 300 pounds of catfish? Largemouth Bass ~ Channel Catfish ~ Hybrid Bluegill Regular Bluegill ~ Redear Sunfish ~ Black Crappie Triploid Grass Carp ~ Fathead Minnows ~ Golden Shiners Albino Catfish ~ Koi ~ Tilapia Aquatic vegetation can also provide cover but is not necessary for maintaining a good environment for fish, he said. Most undesirable submerged vegetation comes out of dormancy at water temperatures above 65 degrees, he said. Those 300 pounds of catfish are eating a lot of forage fish that could be growing bass and big bluegill. Then they lunge forward with their big mouths to swallow their prey whole. Plus it's another hungry mouth depleting your baitfish population. “This comes at a price though, as purchasing adult fish will likely more than triple your initial stocking cost.”. Just make sure the water temperature is above 60 degrees. Eventually there are so many small crappie in the pond, that no fish, including juvenile bluegill, bass and catfish, can get enough food to effectively grow. How often you feed your fishes will differ depending on a lot of factors, but for the results I get – an average of 1.5kg to 2kg fish size in 6 months – here’s what I recommend:. The newly stocked bass fingerlings will usually consume fathead minnows first and predate on them until they disappear. Plus it's another hungry mouth depleting your baitfish population. During the spring, summer and fall, feed small floating catfish fingerling pellets. “They are tough to manage even in ponds at the low end of that limit because predators and anglers can’t keep up with crappie spawns, he said. “Rushing the process by stocking the wrong fish or stocking fish in the wrong order can result in unbalanced populations and poor fishing that can take many years of intense management to fix.”. Largemouth bass are one of the most impressive and valuable fish to keep in a farm pond. An angler might get 3-8 years of good crappie fishing, but every few years the water temperature, water level and moon phase all line up just right to get a phenomenal crappie spawn. So, for the 500 fish stocked per acre, Sink would add 50 bass. Landowners should ignore the impulse to add bass and/or catfish to the pond with bluegills or sunfish, Sink said. Catfish require very little management, can eat a wide variety of foods, they are easy to catch, and good to eat. Just stock adult 6-inch bluegill and redear sunfish along with the fathead minnows March through May. And warm summer months are when vegetation growth is the greatest in the pond.”. These pellets will remain on the bottom and allow the bluegill to feed slowly on the offering. Channel catfish fry do not recruit well in ponds where significant numbers of adult largemouth bass exist. Fertilization will ideally start 10-14 days before stocking juvenile fish for the first time, Sink said. We've been making high quality marine products in the United States since 1995. In fertilized ponds, the stocking ratio should be doubled, for example 1,000 bluegill fingerlings and 100 bass per acre. Posted by fishfighter on 2/15/16 at 2:57 pm to rsbd Stocking mine, I just went out and caught a shite load of fish this time of the year. For more questions about how to keep channel catfish and bass in your pond, feel free to contact me at garrett@pondking.com. Pond Management. They are capable of spawning in ponds, but because of egg predation by bluegills and fingerling predation by bass, very few young channel catfish … Up to 100 catfish can be added per acre with appropriate fertilization and feeding programs. Channel catfish; Hybrid striped bass; Florida largemouth bass; Redear sunfish; Dunn's Fish Farms P. O. This develops a strong food chain and increases the odds of establishing a good fish population. Not all catfish will eat tadpoles. Some catfish species will not eat tadpoles until they have grown into frogs. Using very large bait can discourage the catfish from taking bites. By stocking more mouths to feed, you reduce the share of the limited food each fish gets, so growth declines. You may be able to get around this by creating your own bait with the pellet feed blended in. By removing mouths that have to be fed, more food is available for remaining fish and the faster they will grow.”. “Then the entire population starts to stunt,” Sink said. What do I feed catfish fingerlings within four to five months until harvest-able sized fish is attained is a question I get asked frequently.. Bass fingerlings should be available to add by May or June, he said. We carry a comprehensive line of fingerling fish and pond management supplies. This is especially important in East Texas because soils are typically acidic, which leads to low-alkalinity, acidic waters. 100-200 Largemouth Bass 100-200 Channel Catfish 3,000-5,000 Fathead Minnows (12-20 lb) 10-12 Grass Carp . Bass grow to more than 20 inches long and act as the top predators in a pond. Bass can smell and taste. Catfish other than channels just don't do well in smaller bodies of water. Fish and Fishing, Bass grow to more than 20 inches long and act as the top predators in a pond. Highly palatable floating nugget to maximize intake and viewing. Albino Channel Catfish in the 2" to 4" size range are $80.00 per one hundred fingerlings. “By stocking the two species together, landowners end up with more baitfish in the pond because they don’t compete for the same resources,” he said. Healthy, strong fish are key for establishing a vibrant and diverse fish population, and Osage Catfisheries, Inc., has been providing the highest quality, disease-free and genetically pure fish for clients across the Midwest and the world for more than 50 years. In the fall, Sink recommends adding 500 bluegill or 400 bluegill and 100 redear sunfish per acre if not fertilizing. Channel catfish can also be trained to eat pelleted fish feed to supplement what they can naturally scavenge. If you stock the right species and practice good pond management, channel catfish and bass can co-exist. Channel cats use their barbels, or whiskers, as sensory receptors to search for food on the bottom of the pond. I don't see a bass heavy 1/2 acre pond as being half full or half empty. The first day I offered the fingerlings chopped night crawler pieces that were being readily eaten by the fingerlings … They create a good food source for larger baitfish and sportfish populations added later. Pond owners should start experiencing quality fishing in three years once ponds are properly stocked, he said. Sink also recommends a fertilization program if landowners want maximum fish production from their pond. Sinking catfish fingerling pellets are recommended for winter bluegill feeding. Jody Thurmon with her first double- digit bass, A 10lb 46-month old florida stocked as a 2” fingerling. Largemouth Bass ~ Channel Catfish ~ Hybrid Bluegill Regular Bluegill ~ Redear Sunfish ~ Black Crappie Triploid Grass Carp ~ Fathead Minnows ~ Golden Shiners Albino Catfish ~ Koi ~ Tilapia “That is more than a third of the carrying capacity of most 1-acre ponds. “Water tests can catch problems and allow you to fix them before you stock fish and are useful to determine lime and fertilizer rates to optimize fish production,” he said. Ranchers Agricultural Leasing Workshop: Online course. And yes, cats will eat bass, but in a moment of quid pro quo, bass will eat baby catfish. Email us at info@freshwaterfishco.com and let us know what sizes and types of fish you are interested in. It's imperative the tanks are kept clean and many add formalin or something similar to keep bacteria down in this crowded conditions. Often this food is a dead fish or animal pieces that have sunk to the bottom producing a blood-scent trail that leads the catfish right to it. Bluegill fingerlings are the food of choice for Bass. But they can speed up the process by adding more minnows, bluegill and redear during the first two years. This is why their coloration, or camouflage, varies from green and black on the top and sides to white on their bellies. Fertilization is optimally started in the spring when the water temperature is between 60-65 degrees, Sink said. I think the minnows pretty much are eating very small "things" in your water and the bass are eating the minnows. I dont really know that you can feed bass or minnows with commercial food. Catfish spawn in May and June and will be ready to stock in July or August, but fingerlings are available throughout the year due to fish production management, although size varies with time of year. Vegetation should be managed because coverage exceeding 25% can cause a fish kill. The first was raising striped bass as a food fish. I don't like the idea of a bunch of big blues in a water hole that size. Dont overfeed and you should have no problems. Fish and Fishing, And treat any submerged rooted vegetation with an appropriate approved aquatic herbicide before starting fertilization. They won’t eat catfish food which has a lot of soybean meal. Landowners should work toward creating alkalinity levels between 50-150 parts per million and a pH of 6-9, Sink said. Either northern largemouth bass or Florida largemouth bass are appropriate for stocking in Mississippi farm ponds, but it is best not to mix the two. It does not matter whether you stock regular bluegill or coppernose bluegill. Catfish do get pretty big, but we are talking about a simple everyday normal sized catfish here. We train our bass at American Sport Fish Hatchery to eat a pelleted salmon diet by first getting them to eat krill which they can smell and taste. During the spring, summer and fall, feed small floating catfish fingerling pellets. “The numbers of fish stocked remain the same, you just start with larger sunfish that are ready to spawn,” he said. “We send all our fish out young. A typical lake larger than one acre could be stocked with 200 largemouth bass fingerlings/acre (or 60 adults),400 bluegill fingerlings/acre (or 120 adults),and 200 channel catfish/acre. “Everyone wants their pond to be set up from the start, but doing it right takes focusing on the long game,” he said. The Department recommends that the maximum number of largemouth bass, bluegill and channel catfish when stocked in combination be 100 bass, 500 bluegill, and 100 channel catfish fingerlings per surface acre. Fertilizing above 65 degrees may help rooted plants and result in a dense mess in the pond. In addition, bass may eat the hybrid fingerlings that you stock. reach sexual maturity and “adult size” between 2–5 years old, though they continue to grow at a slower rate after that until they die. The larger a bass is the more difficult feed training will be. This provides the best environment for the fish and the pond’s food chain. This will allow them to grow much larger and quicker than on natural resources alone. If you examine the body of a bass, you’ll see that the bass is built to hide under logs, along weed lines or other forms of habitat waiting for their prey to swim by. Frogs can be cut up the same way you prepare shads for use as bait for catfish. I was told the catfish will deplete the oxygen the bass need to live. They eat too much for the bait population to keep up. The result will be stunted bass and catfish populations.” Adding bass and other sportfish. In an unfertilized pond, stock 100 channel cat fingerlings per acre. We offer fry, fingerlings and breeder colonies in a variety of species including: Tilapia (Five Types), Australian Redclaw Crayfish, Freshwater Prawns, Bluegill, Bass and Minnows. Bass spawn in March and April and fingerlings will be ready to stock by May or June. But they are typically more beneficial to anglers because fish congregate around them. A planned approach takes time – up to three years – before sportfish like largemouth bass are harvested, Sink said. Choose from Florida Hybrid Bass, Channel Catfish, Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Hybrid Bluegill, Coppernose Bluegill, Redear Bream, Florida Largemouth Bass, Fathead Minnows, Diploid and Triploid Grass Carp (White Amur), and Oriental Koi. Redear sunfish do not have a sufficient reproductive rate to sustain bass populations on their own. Anything your other fish can handle, they will be happy with. Plus, it'll give you and your guests a more diverse fishing experience. Most ponds benefit from 5-8 pounds of liquid or powdered, not pelleted, phosphorus per acre. If the answer is catfish, then go ahead and stock catfish.”. Ictalurus punctatus is the MOST populous catfish species in North America, it is the MOST popular catfish in aquaculture practices, it is the MOST adaptable catfish living in habitats from clear to muddy waters and lakes to streams, and the MOST popular state fish being the official fish for Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Tennessee! Then it snowballs out of hand. ... Catfish Farming (Fish Fingerlings): What it takes to succeed. pound bass will definitely eat catfish fingerlings ranging up to 7-inches 1973) (Krummrich and Heidinger, Another research report indicates that artificially fed largemouth bass and channel catfish could be raised in mixed culture at moderately heavy densities. If the goal is trophy largemouth bass, Sink said the pond owner should harvest 25 pounds or more of 6-to-14-inch bass per-acre per-year to provide more resources to growing largemouths. because warm water holds less oxygen than cool water. or earthen ponds. A fish this big is a major competitor for the bass in your pond. Catfish and large Bluegill also like to eat them. Crushed agricultural limestone, hydrated lime, quicklime or slaked lime can be added to low-alkalinity or low pH ponds to create a more productive environment for fish and their food prior to stocking, he said. Bass, bream, catfish, and other fish for stocking new or renovated ponds may be obtained from private hatcheries and consultants in Alabama and surrounding areas. “They’re not necessary, but they do give you a good idea where the fish will be hanging out,” he said. Such advanced fingerling catfish generally grow to edible size after one growing season. It should be noted that there may be a different reaction to tadpoles in a pond. But, this practice can curb their desire to feed on other sources of food, like the bait on the end of your line. Box 10 Monroe, AR 72108 (870) 589-2033 (870) 589-2029-FAX 1-800-433-2950: Triploid grass carp; Channel catfish; Black crappie; Florida largemouth bass; Native largemouth bass tively unimportant in the diet of pond catfish since aquatic insect larvae compose the bulk of their natural foods, but catfish reproduction is usually unsuccessful if bass or sunfish are present since these fishes will eat nearly all the newly hatched catfish. A few of the fingerling fish we handle for stocking your pond including: Triploid Grass Carp, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Sunfish, Crappie and Threadfin Shad. Catfish may spawn in such ponds, but adult bass consume most, if not all, catfish fry and fingerlings.