I think it is worth mentioning that because black crappie tend to school up, especially early in the year when water temps are still cold, culling is very easy to do. The crappie will be schooled up in and around structure, and you can just catch one after another.

I enjoy catching black crappie in my pond, however, I am one for diversity. I understand how crappie may not be good if one's goals are a trophy fishery of a different species.

Every year, around late March/early April, I will remove every crappie I catch below 10". I end up removing 40-60 early in the year, and I continue to cull all year long in that slot. Over the course of a year, I may cull 80 crappie.

I have seen an obvious increase in the size of crappie I catch now averaging around 12" (I'm sure the several hundred pounds of fatheads & shiners that I put in each year have an effect also).

Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:"
"She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."