First cat

[Daver]

I was sheltering in place today on my pond in a county, as of right now, still without a positive COVID case. I was trying to catch some crappie, I failed at that task, but did collect many nice bluegills and bass...and even my first catfish from the pond.

I first stocked fish not quite 3 years ago now. The bigger bass are 14"+, the bigger gills are about 8"ish and the cat was a nice eater size, probably a little over a pound.

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[Ishi]

There’s your first entry to the Let’s Eat!!! thread

 

[JNRBRONC]

Yes, I find them better eating at that size. Need to drown a worm or two one of these days, but caught up in spring chores.


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[cybball]

That is awesome! How big were the cats when you put them in? I just stocked 4 inchers last weekend.


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[Daver]

That is awesome! How big were the cats when you put them in? I just stocked 4 inchers last weekend.


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Like yours, they were also 4" to 5". After catching several dozen bass and bluegills, I could tell instantly from the fight that I had something else on the line. And he was just a little over a pound.

Just a FYI...I can catch fish all over the pond, but the area where I had some standing trees left in, mostly big cedars, is shaping up to be by far the best zone to connect with the fish.

Based on my catch rate in that area, I think 50% of the fish are in those trees.

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[oldman570]

You might want to put some stickup bed areas in other parts of the pound. Placing road grade stakes into the bottom every 6 to 6 inches will give the crappie a great place to spawn and they will like the cover also. Just make them so the stakes are standing straight up and just below the water a few inches. Lots of fishing guides will do this along with some states DNR's and lake dhore property owners.

 

[Daver]

You might want to put some stickup bed areas in other parts of the pound. Placing road grade stakes into the bottom every 6 to 6 inches will give the crappie a great place to spawn and they will like the cover also. Just make them so the stakes are standing straight up and just below the water a few inches. Lots of fishing guides will do this along with some states DNR's and lake dhore property owners.

Thanks, I'll check that out. I have ALL KINDS of structure in the pond, but nothing that I would describe as a road grade stake bed. Thanks!

Another little habitat feature that I have added since the pond is full and I have some standing trees around some areas of the bank. I use a pole saw to cut lower hanging limbs in some areas and then throw the tangly branches in the shallow water to create nursery habitat for little fish.

Any time I get close to these areas I can see lots of little fish using those areas and I can also catch bass from a boat on the outer edges of these brushpiles, I suspect they are hanging just outside the brushpiles to ambush the little guys.