• Channel catfish are one species of pond fish that thrives in North Carolinacatfish image by tomcat2170 from Fotolia.com
  
  North Carolina's climate is ideal for many species of warm water game fish, but not all fish thrive in ponds. Largemouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, and redear sunfish are the species that are best suited to ponds in North Carolina, and with a little bit of care and attention, these fish can not only survive, but reach trophy proportions, providing you and your family with generations of fishing success.
  
  

Bluegill & Redear Sunfish

• Bluegill and redear sunfish are the two species of sunfish best suited for ponds in North Carolina. The bluegill is round in shape, and can be identified by a dark spot at the base of the soft dorsal fin, dark vertical bands on its sides and a gill flap that is black with no red spot. Bluegill feed mostly on insects, and reach harvest-worthy size in about three years. In North Carolina, bluegills spawn repeatedly between May and October when the water temperature is 67 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. They reproduce in great quantities, making them the primary food source of largemouth bass in ponds. Redear sunfish, also called shellcracker, look similar to bluegill, but have a red or orange border on their gill flap. They are less prolific than bluegill, and reach larger size because they are harder to catch. Fingerlings that are 1 to 2 inches should be stocked in October or November at a rate of 700 per acre for bluegill or 300 per acre for redear sunfish.
  
  

Channel Catfish

• Identifiable by its chin whiskers ("barbells"), scaleless body and forked tail, channel catfish are commonly stocked in ponds. Channel cats survive easily in North Carolina ponds, but do not always reproduce well due to egg predation by bluegill. Place 2-foot lengths of 8 to 12-inch diameter terra-cotta pipe in 2 to 4 feet of water perpendicular to the bank to increase spawning success. Usually living in the deepest part of a pond, these fish will eat almost anything, but prefer a diet of crayfish, insects and small fish. They can be caught by bottom-fishing methods and reach sizes in excess of 10 pounds in many ponds. Catfish fingerlings should be stocked in October or November at 100 fingerlings per acre.
  
  

Largemouth Bass

• Largemouth bass is usually the most sought-after game fish in ponds; they are hard-fighting and reach 12 inches in about three years (although their growth rate varies across North Carolina). Largemouth are recognized by a row of dark blotches down their sides, and by their massive, gaping mouths. Young bass eat insects and invertebrates, then switch to a diet of fish and crayfish when they reach about 2 inches long. Bass spawn when the water temperature reaches about 65 degrees; in North Carolina this usually occurs in late March to late May. Bass should be stocked at 100 fingerlings per acre in June, the year after sunfish have been stocked.