re: How would I navigate stocking catfish for a fishing rodeo?

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Our recreation facility has an annual youth fishing rodeo. We stock 1-2lb channel cats (via Louisiana Pond Management ) about 2 weeks before the rodeo, then turn off the automatic feeder about a week before the rodeo. The catfish provide a more consistent catch in the event that the bream and bass aren't really biting that morning.

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Do yall put any sort of net out to keep them corralled? I'm doing some power googling and I see where some say to keep them contained, others don't, and others don't mention it. How big of a body of water do yall do it in?

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The youngest age group, 4-7 yrs old, have a good many that get bored pretty quickly so we always have a bounce house or other attractions to occupy their short attention spans.

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This is a salient point that I haven't thought about. That age range would be the majority of the ones that would be there. I would like to think everyone would be locked in catching the hell out of fish, but knowing 5 year olds, a small bouncy house might not be a bad idea. I have power nearby.

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Everyone gathers around for a big jambalaya lunch while we add up results, then we announce winners and prizes. Everyone gets a goodie bag on the way out, and we're typically done by noon before it gets too hot.

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Fantastic info. I was planning on maybe having a "tournament" and making sure everyone gets a goodie bag while having a cooking. I had it in my mind to do a fish fry, but maybe something like jambalaya would be easier to do.

What is the stocking rate that you use? Meaning, if you have 30 kids, how many fish do yall usually stock? I appreciate the information thus far!