bass eat catfish?

[boddah]

can bass eat small catfish or are they safe because of those fin barbs? and if so can they eat wide bodied fish like sunfish or rock bass?

i always wondered about this so any theories are welcome.

[steverowbotham]

I have had largies spit up small bullhead before, as well as small bluegills and pumpkinseeds, perch are very common bass diet as well. All dpends on available forage.

[John Bacon]

I have seen largemouth with rockbass in their bellies, so they definitely do eat them.

[OhioFisherman]

A lot of farm ponds are stocked with bass, bluegills, cats, and minnows around here. The minnows are usually the first thing gone from the pond, fish usually like to eat soft ray fish first, bait fish are soft ray, no spines in the fins, easy meal. Smaller fish smaller spines, seen a few pike get themselves in trouble trying to eat bluegill and perch tail first. Spines opened up and fish was lodged in their throat choking them.

 

Very small bluegills or cats don`t seem to be a problem for bass, I have used small bluegill for bait in ponds around here with no signs of minnows. Never used small cats, but cats will also eat small bluegills. Never seen a bass or cat with one stuck and choking? smarter than a Pike? Less aggressive? better eye site?

 

I have seen baits made to imitate bluegill and cats. Pike and ski`s seen to attack anything bass, walleye just need to know which end to start on. Some species aren`t legal for bait, before you try check the local regs. Big fish eat smaller fish.

[ecxstriper]

The spines on blue gills aren't any better than the barbs on a catfish or bullhead

[OhioFisherman]

LOL no they aren`t, even the ones on perch. I have caught steelhead with with small perch in their bellies, go figure. We used perch at times for bait on the Georgian Bay year ago when I was young, don`t know if it is still legal but was back then up to the first barrier, dam, falls. Never caught anything on them but pike and a bowfin once.

 

Even suckers didn`t work well for me up north, although I have had good days on Lake Erie using them as a thought, the suckers run up the river, the walleyes run up the river? Food maybe try it?

 

Emerald shiners out of the great lakes seem to work anywhere, ok for all species if you can keep small fish away and it is legal to transport them. Silver shiners a bigger minnow, broader wider profile also work, but harder to come by here. Golden Shiners also work everywhere I have tried them and they get big, just my opinion if you are stocking a pond Golden Shiners are the bait fish to put in it. They get big enough so most species won`t deplete them, you should be able to maintain a spawning population.

 

Seen them in ponds here bigger than the bluegills and the bass in the ponds averaged a bigger size. Creek Chubs and darters also work well but darters, dace run small. Creek chubs get big.

 

Used small shad once, 2-3 inches didn`t have any luck and never bothered with them again, but they seem to be everywhere and in a lot of fishes bellies.

[Tinman]

At my aunts cottage on the Big rideau, a Laker washed up with a sunfish jammed in its mouth, must have choked on it!

[Rich]

Of course they will. They'll eat anything that fits in their mouth.