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I know that for quite some time there have been giant blue cats on the James/Chic. The Albe Sound rivers and creeks are becoming full of these cats and they are getting bigger each year. My question is what are these cats doing to the bream crappie bass in your waters? I went bream fishing this summer fall and was skunked 3x. Just wondering if these cats are eating these species? Any thoughts?
and gar too!
Hard to say. There are several species already over crappie and bream on the food chain on the river. It may be a small effect or it could be massive. Do You know how the Blue cats got here?CF
Yes they eat them. Live bream is an excellent bait for big blues.
I cat fish in the James mostly in the winter time for the big blues. I can tell you that their main food source is gizzard shad which there's plenty of in our rivers. Bream are used mostly in the upper james for flatheads in shallower water.
I wash told that ther were stock by the state. I dont know that for sureQuote:
Originally Posted by crappiefarmer
I don't think the catfish populations on the Albemarle Sound and its Tributaries is affecting the overall fish population as much as the gar population. There ain't many places on the Perquimans river that you can stop without seeing em coming to the top. I know of several holes up river that they get so thick during the winter, that it's almost impossible to troll for stripers. They will black out your entire fishfinder sometimes. Not uncommon to hook two or three in the mouth and snag a handful more in an all day trip. As for the blue cats, I think the chowan river has more than the rest of the rivers, especially the larger ones. I know there are some 40+ lbers in there. I don't mind the blue cats, fun to catch and good eatin, but I would just as soon all the gar floated to the surface for good.
You are right about the PQ and the Chowan. There by far more on the Chowan to the sound bridge. Tried jiggin for stripers on the bridge and ended up with about 250lbs of cats. All caught on jigs. No stripers. Have you ever heard of that.
What are the gar eating? They can be eating too much with that tiny mouth.
Here is some interesting info on them. http://www.ask.com/question/what-do-...at?ad=dirN&o=0Quote:
Originally Posted by canoe
The Flathead catfish is doing the most damage to the pan fish population. That was on of the State's bright idea in North and South Carolina.
Blue cats have moved well up into the Nottoway, there was concern about them displacing channel cats and competing with bass for forage. These are large top of the food chain predators and seem able and willing to feed on any smaller fish. Hard to say how their expansion will effect Speks just have to wait and see.
These cats are huge and getting. They have a huge appitite too.
They eat fish. All kinds. I have caught some BIG gar in the PQ, and I am sure that with that tough beak lined with razor blades would have little trouble "cutting off" what they can eat. Besides, ain't no fish in the river, especially crappie, born 12 inches long and 3/4 lb. Be interesting to see what was in the belly of those blue cats. Last ones I caught in the chowan were full of freshwater mussels... shell and all. On the other hand, I'm sure the cats do their fair share of eating fish, especially the larger cats. They would prolly be more apt to snatch a crappie or bream.Quote:
Originally Posted by canoe