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Lake: Lon Hagler Reservoir
Fish: Blue Catfish

Blue cats in the Hag?

Post By: edawg      Posted: 6/23/2018 10:01:38 PM     Points: 223    
Saw in the stocking reports on the Lon Hagler homepage that 10,000 blue cats have been stocked since 2015. I wasn’t aware that they were in there. Just wondering if anyone has caught any and how big they are now. Awesome that there is an opportunity for Blue cats now on the Front Range!
 Reply by: bron      Posted: 6/24/2018 6:12:25 AM     Points: 36702    
Ive seen them listed in several NE CO lakes. Would like to see the responses on this. Only lake I feel certain they are there is John Martin.
 Reply by: ColoradoRay      Posted: 6/24/2018 8:34:14 AM     Points: 22881    
How big would those cats be now?
 Reply by: Jimmy DFish      Posted: 6/24/2018 9:25:36 AM     Points: 274    
I believe that the growth rate for blue cats is faster than that of channel cats. From what I have read they can grow up to 4 inches per year. Not sure about CO growth rates though. I'd assume they may be around 15-20 inches. I have fished a few places where they were stocked at and only caught channel cats.
 Reply by: Swigs      Posted: 6/24/2018 5:20:32 PM     Points: 149    
I agree with Jimmy on the current size, indeed 10,000 blue cats were stocked into Lon Hagler on 07/24/2015 by the Las Animas Hatchery staff. Average size at stocking was 3.40 inches.
 Reply by: Fisherguyd      Posted: 6/25/2018 7:29:59 AM     Points: 96    
That's awesome! They are one of the best eating of the catfish species
 Reply by: cookster      Posted: 6/25/2018 8:25:28 AM     Points: 63657    
I’m no biologist but I am a blue cat fisherman and I have never seen a lake support blues without a strong Shad population. Sure there is other bait fish in the lake but just not the right bait fish. Without Shad blues will not have the grow rate you read about in a book. JMO