kellenw, Now, you are painting a rather rosy picture that is certainly tempting. The major drawback that I see is the loss of catfish fry and fingerlings from LMB predation as well as probably wiping out my fathead minnow population.

Still, restoring things to my preferred mix AFTER the LMB experiment would be just adding fathead minnows and a batch of small (not sure what size) channel cats. I'll have to get advice on the size/numbers of catfish to stock, if any to optimize the situation.

The down side (collateral damage/side effect) of the LMB experiment would be a starving group of same sex LMB and no little catfish or minnows if I let the experiment run to a natural conclusion, assuming the LMB wouldn't eat much dog food (which is not substantiated yet.) Still it wouldn't be too hard to reintroduce fathead minnows and if recommended by competent authority, some small or mid size cats after fishing out the LMB.

I hope the LMB will not be eating much large kibble floating dog food. I think they are carnivorous not omnivorous (comment?)

Your suggested plan needs to be used in conjunction with some consideration for the pond upstream of the catfish pond. The population of X-fish in that pond is the source of the problem and when that pond overflows we will be back at square one again. The simplest approach may be to drain that pond, provide suitable disposition for all the fish of interest, and then rotenone the reduced volume and restock with only fathead minnows and channel catfish after it has refilled with water.

The drain and or drain and rotenone approach and then restocking with fathead minnows and channel catfish for the upper most pond (immediately above the catfish pond) will help ensure the protection of the catfish pond from recurrence of the current problem. Then I will have two catfish ponds. Not my original plan or desire but acceptable to avoid a repeat of the current problem.

All my other ponds are a dukes mixture of species and seem to do well enough. Some are quite productive of healthy mid size LMB, some fat crappie, and various sunfish and turtles.

Funny thing about turtles. Lots of the folks around here shoot them when able, claiming they will eat all the fish. I leave them alone and there are oodles of turtles and plenty of fish. Funny thing though, the majority of my turtles are redear turtles (they have red blotches where their external ears would be if they had them.) Redear turtles are carnivorous when small (too small to be dangerous to many fish), are omnivorous when midsized (so still are not a big threat to many fish), and then when mature are strict vegetarians and constitute no threat to fish at all.

We have snapping turtles too but rarely see them. There are even alligator snappers but are really rarely encountered (luckily.)

Thanks for the same sex LMB idea. That sounds like a lot less effort on my part. I won't have to transport and pen any catfish. Any fish transported besides the same sex LMB will be from the upper pond to wherever.

One potential destination for a lot of the fish to be removed from the upper pond would be a BIG FISH FRY.

The LMB solution is starting to grow on me! I'll have to have a chat with my hatchery/fish supplier connection, Dunn's Fish Farm, and see what timing they recommend or if they think they have a better way. I can't imagine a better way but I'm no expert which is obvious.

Too bad you are so far away there in NW Missouri, you would most certainly be the honored guest at the fish fry and THE DESIGNATED FISHER OUTER of the LMB after they did their deed.

Pat