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So I am currently studying fisheries biology at South Dakota State University. I am from Utah originally and have spent a lot of time catfishing there. In Utah there is often conflict between gamefish and native fish species. For instance, channel catfish have been removed in certain parts of the state where they can have negative impacts on threatened or endangered native species. The other day I came across some information regarding Blue X Channel catfish hybrids, I like to call them blannels. These fish grow faster and get bigger than channel catfish. They are also sterile hybrids. Because of this I feel they could be used to provide fishing opportunities for big catfish while minimizing potential impacts on native fish in certain areas (small to medium sized lakes/reservoirs might be best). This would be somewhat akin to the planting of sterile hybrid trout such as tiger trout or splake or tiger muskies. Just curious if anybody would be interested in this if it were a possibility. I think these fish top out at around 60 pounds.
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Probably be a lot of fun to catch. Where do you think we could put them? And just what would we feed them? Maybe Yuba? I doubt the DWR, JSRP, and the USFWS would approve of them being in Utah Lake.
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I need to read up on them some more. I think the same forage base that sustains channels would probably work well. I agree about Utah lake. There are already a lot of species in there plus you have the June Sucker element as you mentioned. I was thinking reservoirs like Huntington north reservoir, or other reservoirs of that size would work well. That place was producing huge channel cats a few years back. Reservoirs where there are lots of planter rainbows tend to produce big cats. Not sure if everybody would like them eating stocked rainbows, but if the rainbows are stocked regularly it might not be much of an issue (probably wouldn't want them in a trophy trout lake). I don't know too much about reservoirs around central and northern Utah. I could see Yuba working though. However, most of my work is in streams and is focused on smaller fish species and macroinvertebrates. So I can't really call myself a hardcore fish management expert. Might need to see what the DWR fish guys think of it.
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I think that would work in Utah only if they are used as a management strategy, like helping to control carp or chub populations etc. Frankly, not a very large percentage of Utah fishermen are at all interested in catfish. Of course they would be put-and-take like the wipers in Willard Bay. As for myself, I say bring them on! Try them in one appropriate lake and let's see if they catch on. I love catfish, and the bigger the better!
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Not likely to be put anywhere that they feed on trout. Kind of expensive to raise fish to feed to other fish. Yuba, with the problems with carp, is the only place that I think they'd get a chance.
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Put em in cutler and the bear river. Nothing for them to hurt there.
Any fish with the potential for rough fish control, big size, and good eating us welcome by me in the appropriate water.
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quit messing with ma nature give a rest will ya maybe a smart feller like ya can fix the problems we have now not ten years from today,,,just my view don't want to pzz u guys off lol
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To me, blues are more of a scavenger than channels. I have caught many channels on minnow-like presentations. Never once have I caught a blue on anything other than cut bait or nightcrawlers. In my experience back east, blues tend to do best where large populations of shad exist. As far as fight and taste channels are superior. Blues get fat though, that is for sure!
As far as controlling carp, I dont see blues being much help. Its hard to guess what the feeding habits of the cross would be though.
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Places that come to my mind are Pineview and Willard Bay.
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throw them in the pineview soup bowl! that place has a little bit of everything.
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[#0000FF]Flatheads eat carp. Heck, they eat anything that don't eat them first. And they are GREAT eating at any size.
Fat (flat) chance we would ever see them in Utah Lake. They love suckers too.
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Good point zman2. Things have already been messed with quite a bit in Utah. It wouldn't be good to mess up a fishery by introducing them in a lake or reservoir where they will cause other species to crash. I felt they might be good because their numbers can be controlled like other sterile hybrids. There isn't the chance (at least that's the idea with sterile hybrids) of them becoming established in another body of water where they are a threat to other species if they are stocked illegally or something. However sometimes it is best just to let things be.
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What about the smaller ponds like Salem and all the others in the SLC valley, that might be a good place to start them. I know there are lots of other catfish currently in those.
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I kinda wonder how DMAD would go also. I think the chances of stocking there may be alright, but who's to say? Another thought, too, is that I grew up on a res that has lots of kitties roaming the waters yet still all the other species seem in good condition and population. So, i somewhat question that they cause too much damage. On a trout pond, you bet, but a warm water smorgassboard of species doesn't seem to be bothered by some channels. Just my opinion, of course. Sure an interesting thought, to be sure.
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Yes, please. ![[Image: happy.gif]](http://www.bigfishtackle.com/images/gforum/happy.gif)
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Isda and Utahfishin, both good thoughts. I think community ponds would work well. They actually use blue X channel hybrids in aquaculture ponds and supposedly they handle crowding better than channels and are more vulnerable to angling. Good point on the warmwater fishes that seem to do well together in reservoirs. Besides, with blannels you could control their numbers more easily than channels. Something fun to think about.
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[quote FishMcFisherson]Yes, please.[.img][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/images/gforum/happy.gif[/img][/quote]"]http://www.bigfishtackle.com/...y.gif[/img][/quote][/url]
+1 here.
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I second Cutler and The Bear. That place already grows some big channel cats, imagine how big these could get in there. What I'd really like to see is a flathead hybrid. I like that they're more predatory since I don't really enjoy bait fishing, and they get huge to boot.
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Do you think flatheads could reproduce in Yuba?
That would be a cool way to help the pike w/ the carp.
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How about one of these?
[inline Wellscatfish5.jpg]
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