Have a new half acre pond that is just about full thanks to recent rains. My ultimate goal is to have big catfish for my 3 sons to catch. I also like to occasionally go after big yellow cats on trot lines.

I am thinking of stocking the tank with channel cats and goggle eye perch. Channel Cats are a no brainer. Everyone loves them. I am thinking of putting in a couple hundred goggle eye that I can occasionally catch and use for live bait. For those that don't know goggle eye are tough and can survive as live bait much longer than most sunfish.

Has anyone had a pond of just goggle eye? Do they reproduce at crazy rates. Any concerns? Will they do well with Channel Cats?

When you say goggle eye, do you mean green sunfish? If so, no need to stock them, they will find their way in.

Or, do you mean warmouth?

Also, yellow cats in a half acre pond aren't ideal.

Channel cats and bluegill are the way to go.

Yea them yellows are going to eat everything including the channels. I 2nd sticking with the channels and bluegill.

I should have clarified. The goggle eye in the pond are just for catching and taking to the lake to put on trot lines. The only catfish in the pond will be Channel Cats.

Goggle eye https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/greensunfish/

Joe Texag said:

---

Have a new half acre pond that is just about full thanks to recent rains. My ultimate goal is to have big catfish for my 3 sons to catch. I also like to occasionally go after big yellow cats on trot lines.

I am thinking of stocking the tank with channel cats and goggle eye perch. Channel Cats are a no brainer. Everyone loves them. I am thinking of putting in a couple hundred goggle eye that I can occasionally catch and use for live bait. For those that don't know goggle eye are tough and can survive as live bait much longer than most sunfish.

Has anyone had a pond of just goggle eye? Do they reproduce at crazy rates. Any concerns? Will they do well with Channel Cats?

---

Not only are they delicious but they make the best team mascot.

Why not add bass and minnows? Recently bought some nice bass from Larry. Can't wait for my grandkids to pull some in a couple of years from now.

We are doing 8 pounds of fathead minnows. May add bass later. Really want to see how pond holds water this summer too

As was said before don't bother stocking the green sunfish, you will end up with them anyway. I have seen them swimming across basically wet pasture and trying to jump up into overflow pipes. Back in my WFSC days we would recommend a mixture of bluegill and red ear sunfish to go along with channel cats for your situation. Fathead minnows would not be a bad thing but absolutely avoid golden shiners.