
das Cae oe cn 
Tew Chora Cctsiaii the be ) 
— Tacktebusters, Are Raise 
Since the Channel Catfish has long been an under-rated game fish, | grees, the male will clean the crock, and then the female ente 
and now is rapidly gaining the favoritism of the sportsmen, the fol- 
lowing article is published in the furtherance of this fish’s popularity. 
Se that you have caught the broodstock out of a clean 
stream of water, the story of the process of raising Channels will 
start at that point. 
Brooders weighing from 2 to 10 pounds, free from disease, with 
the male a little larger than the female, should be paired off and placed 
a in a spawning pen, size approximately 7x10 feet. The spawning pen is 
4 built on a slope around the edge of a pond. The fencing can be either 
‘ half-inch mesh hardware cloth, or made with wooden slats such as 
plaster lathes. The hardware cloth is better because the mesh size 
mentioned will keep out snakes and other enemies which might dis- 
‘turb the brooders. 
In the center of the pen a ten- or 15-gallon crock shaped in the 
fashion of a nailkeg is staked down, with the top ofthe crock about 
ten inches below the surface of the water. The nest crock should be 
level. This is done by sinking the rear end of the keg in the ground 


The above pictures show typical specimens of Channel Catfish 
Broodstock. Nice, clean, oily-looking adults are what you want. 
to make the container sit level. The mouth of the crock is turned to 
face the center of the lake. ‘ 
When the temperature of the water has risen to around 70 de- 
ncn reece ny inane 
The above picture shows spawning pens built around the edge of 
the pond. In the center of the pen, a nestbox is staked down. The 
depth of the water runs on a slope from zero to three feet. 
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posit her eggs. The male fish then takes over the job of sitting its 
nest and tore wnid it. anise is the manner in which he fertilizes t 
suitable chr large broodstock. 
The nest should be inspected once or twice a week. Whe. 
found that the eggs have hatched and the young fish have taken on 
a milky color, the young fish should be poured out into a 
trough containing running water. In pouring the fish there) 
some of the little fellows clinging to the sides of the crock. Don 
them out with the fingers. Put a little water in the aor 
them out. wy 
The wooden trough used is made with 2x12 boards on the o 
a horse trough. The trough is placed below the dam of a pol 
The picture above shows “the old man” “doing ‘his stufe” on a 
spawn of eggs. If sportsmen doubt his gameness, they should place 
a hand around near the nest. The channel is the strongest fish there is. 
one end of ‘the trough. An ordinary garden hose will. io), Too much 
force should not be allowed to run into the trough. Just a nice small, 
weak stream. Or if a spray can be rigged up that is just as well. In 
the end of the trough opposite the end where the hose is attached, 
a hole large enough to permit insertion of a half-inch pipe is bored.’ 
The pipe is placed in the hole and the upper end is placed where the 
waterlevel ss to be maintained. A screen gate is placed about. one foot 
up the trough from the pipe to prevent the fish from. going out, the pipe. 
When the young fish have absorbed the egg sacks clinging jto them 
they are given a few pinches of dry powdered milk with a small por- 
tion of dried egg yolk added, cr meatscrap meal. Feed very very light- 
ly. If you watch the young fish closely, you will see them spread out 
over the bottom of the trough. This is the sign they are ready to be 
fed. A tablespoonful will feed a large spawn for the first few feedings. 
Use a hose to sypher unconsumed food, half an hour after feeding. 
Keep the trough clean. 
mf 

Although this picture was made of a spawn under water, you can 
get at least some idea of how the little fellows look, after “the old 
man” has guarded the nest. A spawn of fish like that pictured would 
stock a 25-or 30-acre lake, and within: a few years would provide 
enough fish to feed 20,000 persons. 
When the young fish have been in the trough aout five days, 
place them in a washtub containing water and carry thee. to the cul- 
ture pond. Any size pond will do. 
Make a “shelterbox” in this way: Take three 1x12 okeds three 
feet long. Looking at them from the end they will be in the shape of 
the letter. H. The board nailed in between shave have a one-inch block 
nailed at each end, to leave an opening so the young fish can pass un- 
der. On the outer sides, use a strip of half-inch hardware cloth. 
When you have taken the young fish from the trough take them 
to the culture pond and place a little feed in the sides of the shelter- 
box. Then pour the small fish into the side of the, box. They will “take 
up” with the shelterbox and use it for protection and shade. The water 
in the culture pond is from 2 to 4 feet deep. An area approximately 
ten feet square is sanded to a depth of about five inches. Shae shelter- 
box is staked down in the center of the sanded area. 
If you cannot buy meatscrap meal, or powdered milk, raise the 
j 
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| travel miles over rough 







Halcherymen 
‘| fine work they have been doing for 
a great number of years. Now, 


| Our hatchery superintendents De 
and other hatchery employes have 
“received very little credit for the 
¥ 
with fish-culture — by numerous > 
lakeowners just over the horizon, 
the knowledge and experience of 
our hatcherymen will be of inesti- 
-|mable value to the new fish rais- 
ers. We have found that hatchery-_ 
men are always courteous and 
very cooperafive with our citizens _ 
who are seeking information rela- 
tive to fish-raising, and this little 
sheet wants to say “Thanks” and 
offer its praises to all mbit: «fs 
men everywhere. 
If you hatcherymen have infor- 
mation which ‘you. will pass along, 
sit down and write what you have » 
in mind. If you want your name 
left out of the story, just say so, 
‘and that is the way it will be. We 
will be mighty glad to print any- 
thing you have to say in regard to 
fish-raising or betterment of con- 
servation. 
Power to ‘all of you in your 
efforts. Keep up the good work! 

Lakes Furnish 
Most Fish 
STILLWATER, Okla. Uspeciaiye 
—Most people have the belief that 
in order to go fishing and be as- 
sured of success it is. nece: sary to 
the most inaccessible streams or 
ads to | 
lakes in wilderness areas, says Dr. 
F. M. Baumgartner, wildlife spe- 
cialist at the Oklahoma A. and M. 
college. 
_ “Although it is Sone true’ that 
such effrots are sometimes re- 
warded by big catches,” he con- 
tinues, ‘‘such trips often result in 
a water haul and the disgruntled 
nimrod returns home tired and dis- 
appointed. i 
Careful studies made on the 
number of pounds of fish caughtin 
the various streams and lakes indi- 
cate that in general lakes and 
ponds produce more fish than are iN 
raised. in rivers and creeks. 
For example, properly ‘stocked 
ponds’ located in fertile soil have 
yielded 100 to 300 pounds of fish 
per surface acre over a period of 
several years while it is an excep- 
tional stream from which more — 
than 50 pounds .of fish can be 
taken per acre. 
(See fertilization story elsewhere 
in this issue of the Fish-Culturist 
News.—Hditor.) \ 
‘Although the reasons for this 
difference are not clearly under-— 
stood, a number of factors are be- 
lieved to contribute. For example, 
=< 
‘Baumgartner explains, the water ~ 
temperature in lakes and ponds is 
usually’ 
than that in running water and 
this means that the growing sea- 
son for fish food is longer. Further- 
more still waters do not destroy 
several degrees higher _ 
the animals and plants that fish | 
require for food and shelter. > 
Durin gtimes of high water par- 
ticularly, streams scour 
sides and bottoms and destroy the 
necessary food and shelter. Often- 
times spawn and young fish are 
carried away by high waters that 
occur during the season at which 
most fish are producing their 
young. 
Because ‘of these conditions, our 
warm water ponds and lakes that _ 
lie close to home, particularly 
those that are not subject to great — 
fluctuation in water levels, will 
usually yield more fish to the an- 
gler than the remote stream or 
mountain lake. © 
ES 
WANTED—Fishing, hunting sto- 
ries, lies, pictures, cartoons, and 
names and addresses of ‘sportsmen. 
—a 
One of the largest quail crops 
Southeastern Oklahoma has seen 
in a good many years, has been 
reported by numerous sportsmen 
in this section. cs 
Rue ea esta MMC ante as i TE de ah 
young fish in a fertilized pond. 
Keep the young fish in the cul- 
ture pond until fall and then re- 
lease them in your favorite stream 
or lake. : 
their | 
