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?

Have you seen any otters? If the pond isn't very big, otters can wear them out.

No otters. One snake and one turtle are all I’ve seen lately that wasn’t a fish.

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.

Is it possible that someone(s) discovered your pond and fished all the cats out?

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.

Could the cats have died from disease, and then the birds, racoons, snakes, and turtles got them without you noticing?

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.

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!

I’ll set up a trail cam. Can’t hurt.

pic of the pond? how much weed growth? they might just be un-accessible to casting.

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.

I had catfish of all sizes. Plenty of little ones. I’m still waiting to hear from the trapper.