03-17-2007, 12:11 PM
[cool][#0000ff]I would only be guessing, but I would say about six to eight years. It varies from water to water, depending on length of growing season and available food. Growth rate also changes as fish get older and reach larger sizes. It takes more food to sustain a big fish and less of what they eat goes into creating more weight.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are published stats on how fast farm raised catfish grow, but these fish are fed up to produce fast growth. Under natural conditions cats are subject to cycles of drought, floods, abundant food and no food. So, fish in natural conditions may grow either faster or slower than farm fish.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have asked that same question to several fisheries biologists around the country, and get widely different answers. The most common "ballpark" answer is to figure about 2# per year up to 30" size and then about a pound a year after that. And, those figures are under ideal conditions.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I don't think Utah Lake would qualify as ideal conditions, but the cats are usually fat and healthy, so maybe conditions are good for them. However, in our northern climate, with several months of water temps below 55 degrees, the cats are less active for at least a third of the year, than they would be in the southern states.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I base my guess on several identifiable sizes or year classes in Utah Lake. The smaller sizes are more abundant, obviously, but there are still plenty of the larger ones. They usually require different fishing techniques and folks who hook them often lose them through poor tackle or technique.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]It is estimated that channel cats can live as long as 25 years under good conditions. I'm guessing that the record size cats in Utah Lake...over 30 pounds...are probably in that range.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]How's that for a short answer.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There are published stats on how fast farm raised catfish grow, but these fish are fed up to produce fast growth. Under natural conditions cats are subject to cycles of drought, floods, abundant food and no food. So, fish in natural conditions may grow either faster or slower than farm fish.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have asked that same question to several fisheries biologists around the country, and get widely different answers. The most common "ballpark" answer is to figure about 2# per year up to 30" size and then about a pound a year after that. And, those figures are under ideal conditions.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I don't think Utah Lake would qualify as ideal conditions, but the cats are usually fat and healthy, so maybe conditions are good for them. However, in our northern climate, with several months of water temps below 55 degrees, the cats are less active for at least a third of the year, than they would be in the southern states.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I base my guess on several identifiable sizes or year classes in Utah Lake. The smaller sizes are more abundant, obviously, but there are still plenty of the larger ones. They usually require different fishing techniques and folks who hook them often lose them through poor tackle or technique.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]It is estimated that channel cats can live as long as 25 years under good conditions. I'm guessing that the record size cats in Utah Lake...over 30 pounds...are probably in that range.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]How's that for a short answer.[/#0000ff]
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