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Where did the pond catfish go? #13574230 05/28/20 05:51 PM
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603Country Offline OP
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For years (15 or more) we’ve had tons of catfish in our pond. We’d feed them with the floating catfish food. Every now and then we’d catch a few for chow. When we put out the food, they’d boil the water. Dozens and dozens of them. Now they don’t come to the food, and I can’t even catch one. Not even sure they are there any more.

So, what has changed in the pond? Well, the water got clearer and I put in a fish condo for the spawn. The clearer water brought weed growth and some algae. The amount of small panfish has increased tremendously, possibly due to the condo. The amount of bass may be growing slowly. There seem to be plenty of little ones.

Any educated guesses from you folks? Are they dead? Are they hugging the bottom? I haven’t seen any floaters. What’s going on with my pond?

Re: Where did the pond catfish go? [Re: 603Country] #13574613 05/29/20 12:12 AM
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D1988 Offline
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Have you seen any otters? If the pond isn't very big, otters can wear them out.

Re: Where did the pond catfish go? [Re: 603Country] #13574696 05/29/20 01:41 AM
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603Country Offline OP
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No otters. One snake and one turtle are all I’ve seen lately that wasn’t a fish.

Re: Where did the pond catfish go? [Re: 603Country] #13575730 05/29/20 07:48 PM
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Big flat head? My wife's grand parents had the same thing happen to them. The catfish disappeared over a period of time. But they always had plenty of bass and sunfish. Then one day, they caught a large flat head which had never been stocked.


Originally Posted by OTFF
He is truly a sick individual.
Re: Where did the pond catfish go? [Re: 603Country] #13575744 05/29/20 08:02 PM
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Is it possible that someone(s) discovered your pond and fished all the cats out?

Re: Where did the pond catfish go? [Re: 603Country] #13575870 05/29/20 09:53 PM
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603Country Offline OP
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Nobody’s fishing here but us. To amuse the grandkids, we used to fish for catfish. Now we fish for bream, but have to wonder about the catfish. Honestly, the bream are more fun and easier to catch and release.

Re: Where did the pond catfish go? [Re: 603Country] #13575925 05/29/20 10:55 PM
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Could the cats have died from disease, and then the birds, racoons, snakes, and turtles got them without you noticing?

Re: Where did the pond catfish go? [Re: 603Country] #13575998 05/30/20 12:08 AM
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603Country Offline OP
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That really seems unlikely. For one thing, the pond is south of the house, and the wind is usually out of the south. We’d smell the dead fish. Still, disease could be a possibility I suppose.

Re: Where did the pond catfish go? [Re: 603Country] #13576066 05/30/20 01:30 AM
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I say otters, set up a trail cam. I never thought they were on my place until watching a pond during deer season and a couple showed up out of nowhere. I did not hesitate to shoot one with the 25-06. The other got away. They can clean out a pond in no time!

Last edited by bronco71; 05/30/20 01:30 AM.

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Re: Where did the pond catfish go? [Re: 603Country] #13576506 05/30/20 05:12 PM
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603Country Offline OP
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I’ll set up a trail cam. Can’t hurt.

Re: Where did the pond catfish go? [Re: 603Country] #13576670 05/30/20 08:42 PM
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pic of the pond? how much weed growth? they might just be un-accessible to casting.

Re: Where did the pond catfish go? [Re: 603Country] #13581375 06/03/20 08:14 PM
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Were the catfish reproducing? If it wasn't the right conditions, their spawn might not take. Could be they all got old and got out-competed by the other fish as conditions changed.

Re: Where did the pond catfish go? [Re: 603Country] #13581444 06/03/20 08:53 PM
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603Country Offline OP
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I had catfish of all sizes. Plenty of little ones. I’m still waiting to hear from the trapper.

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