Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Worst/Best case secenaro for rusty crawdads

As some of you know I want to put crawdads into my pond.

The only way I am going to get them into my pond is to bring them in from other creeks and ponds. I did find out that it is legal to do this in my state. So the problem most of you are thinking is that I am going to end up getting rusty crawdads from doing this. Yes I understand that, Lets say I do get rusty crawdads.

This is my Best case secenaro in my book. (this is going to be like a story) So I begin catching crawdads from creeks and ponds and then as I fill a trap i will go and dump it into my pond. The chances of me getting rusty crawdads are high. So lets say I do get them. I have a plennty of vegietaion to go around. But if I begin to see that vegatation levels are going down then I would go and place traps in the pond for a few mounths and take out a few thousand. I also do know that my pond has a lot of nice size catts I also have a very solid bluegill population and a very steady bass population.(I can catch 3-5 three pounders weekly) So I think that the fish could help me out a little. My lake is really not set up for crawfish. I do a little mudd flat tho and some small areas that hold rocks.(I believe that I read some where that if rusty's get into the lake they will do very well even if the lake is not set up for them. Is this true)

Now for the worst case senario in my book. I begin stocking crawdads into my pond I get rusty crawdads they eat all of my vegetation and when spawn comes around the fry dont have anywhere to hide. They after about 5 years I start loseing fish populations. 20 years most fish have died and there are very few new fish.

Let me know what you think of my ideas.

P.S. I am ether going to stock the pond on my own from other creeks or not do it at all. I dont want crawdads that bad if I am going to have to buy thousands of pounds of crawdads just to get the populations started which may not even hold up.

Thanks

ZM:

Crays are hard to find commercially anyway, outside of maybe the gulf states.

I will look over the Rusty Crayfish info I have in the next day or so and give you my $0.02.

Where are these Rusties located? Do they have a wide range?

Original distribution of rusty crayfish was primarily Indiana, northern Kentucky and western Ohio. However fish hatcheries and anglers (fish bait) have spread and continue to spread the rusty crayfish to as far east as New Hampshire, north Wisconsin, west New Mexico, and I'm not sure of the current southern distribution which is not doubt expanding. Google search may shed more light on a full current distribution.

The rusty crayfish once introduced can rapidly expand its range and has driven through direct competition and reproductive interference numerous local native crayfishes populations extinct.

Rusties have made it as far NW as Wyoming - this is where a $100,000 fine was levied for illegal Rusty stocking by a Colorado company.

I quote (with some abbreviations) from the Jan 30, 2008 press release from the Wyoming Fish & Game Dept on this incident:

"Rusty Crayfish measures 2 1/2 inches in length (not including claws). They have dark, rusty spots on each side of their carapace. Their claws are grayish-green to reddish-brown and are smoother than most other crayfish. RC can cause a variety of negative environmental and economic impacts when introduced to new waters. They are an aggressive species that often displace native or existing crayfish species. Invading RC also reduce the amount and kinds of aquatic plants and invertebrates, and reduce some fish populations."

If you have a healthy population of LMB, I don't think any crawdaddies of any kind will OVERpopulate.

Hi, Thank for all that info so far. I was doing some research and found this website. I couldnt find anything that said that rusty crawdads were in nebraska.

Here is a link http://147.72.68.29/crayfish/country_pages/state_pages/nebraska.htm