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Jan 10th, 2023
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 18
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OP
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 18 |
i have a 1/4 to 1/2 acre pond with black crappie in it at the time and im wanting to stock it with something my son can start catching in the next 2 to 3 years when he gets older. i have caught a few 6 inch crappie after removing the alligator weed from the pond and noticed that the pond is full of minnows and some 3 to 4 inck black crappies. ive lived here a month and have just started feeding them pellet feed and it seems to be alot of smaller fish and rarely see a larger one. any ideas how to stock it to even out a predator ratio so they may flourish and grow, and what should i stock.in ocean springs,ms
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,795 Likes: 14
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent  Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,795 Likes: 14 |
Welcome Rerun! Crappie in a small pond can be a real problem. Inconsistent spawning, competition with other desirable species, etc. It is a common issue. I would suggest possibly stocking some adult largemouth bass (LMB), but let’s wait for some experts to weigh in here as well.
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 18
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OP
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 18 |
thank you it was fully stocked with big bass, cc, and crappie until hurricane katrina flooded the area 6 years ago.it has a pond pump that i have started running to hopefully help with floating weeds and oxygen.
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 18
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OP
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 18 |
i just caught a few green sunfish(i believe) so i guess its black crappie and the green sunfish and alot of minnows that inhabit the pond i have.
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,980 Likes: 14
Ambassador Lunker
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Ambassador Lunker
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 6,980 Likes: 14 |
i just caught a few green sunfish(i believe) so i guess its black crappie and the green sunfish and alot of minnows that inhabit the pond i have. Uh-oh How big were the GSF? Have you tried to catch any Bass? On a pond that small, with those particular species present, I fear the worst. Any chance you could drag a seine through part of it, and verify what you may, or may not have? Sometimes, starting over, as painful as it is, can be the most viable solution. Hopefully, someone with more experience than myself will chime in with a plan to get you back on track.
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"
If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 10,458 Likes: 2
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Hall of Fame Lunker
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Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 10,458 Likes: 2 |
I believe a complete renovation of the pond may be the most prudent thing to do in this situation. If you are unwilling to do that, more research should be done on what really is in the pond before a stocking plan is set in stone.
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,499 Likes: 267
Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,499 Likes: 267 |
Good advice so far. You can either start over or try to manage it. Easier to start over in a small pond. Can you drain the pond ? Managing the situation will involve catching out a lot of fish through traps , seine and catching and then adding fish , probably adult fish of the type you want.
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,840
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,840 |
I will be interested in this project as I may have the same issue on my hands.
Thanks for the post.
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 18
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OP
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 18 |
yes i can seine the pond pretty easily, and i have tried catching bass but have not had any luck yet. a good 1/4 of the pond still has alligator weeds floating in it and im slowly getting it out and as i do the pond comes to life with fish feeding on the once hidden smaller fish and bugs. i can not drain the pond in the location that i am in. also the ponds overflow goes over a concrete wall and drops down about 9 feet into the bayou. so i wasnt sure if it ever floods if this will probably mess up all i have/will do. i thank everyones advice and will post some pics of the fish for identifying purpose, you all are a big help.
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 18
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OP
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 18 |
sunfish were 4 to 5 inches and i have not caught any bass at all at this point.
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 18
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OP
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 18 |
ok i was wrong, there are NO BLACK CRAPPIE!! they are all green sunfish and a few 12" koi or some kind of goldfish/carp. What i would like to have in the pond if i am able to are
20 cc
30-50 some sort of bream/bluegill (whatevers best for a small pond)
15 or so bass to try to keep the bream numbers under control.
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,840
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,840 |
Sounds like the same issue I have. Although in my case I was unaware of the GSF issue until after I had stocked it with CC, HBG, LMB, RES, etc.
So I am sure some of my fish were eaten by the GSF but some made it I know.
What I did was add a few larger LMB to help thin out the GSF which seems they may have done so.
I also added some BG to help feed the LMB, and they tend to take over the GSF over time. Since I already stocked HBG I figure it wont hurt to have some natural HBG between the GSF and BG I already have in the pond.
My concern is I over stocked my pond, but I plan to give it at least 2 years to see what happens, if it comes time to kill off I will but at this point I am going to let the LMB do there job, and I will do mine pulling as many of them out when they get over crowded.
From what I have read on the site, this tends to be the case when you catch more LMB per cast then you do BG.
Now take this as info from a guy that took the word or a fish farm on stocking his pond and working I choose to do so to make it work. Experts on here will have much more info and recommendations but wanted to let you know that you’re not the only one out there with this problem.
Thanks
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 18
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OP
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 18 |
thanks very much. that sounds good since my options on draining the pond/or fish kill is out of the question since my overflow goes into the bayou. im gonna read more and more up on the best things to do but i have been catching the sunfish and throwing them to the frogs on the bank and they gobble them up like christmas dinner. i hope i can fish alot of them out and seine alot out also then get some bass to go to town on the remainder of the pond. i just want my son( who is 11 months old with down syndrome) to have a little fishing hole at the house instead of always having to go out into the gulf of mexico which is only a 1/4 mile down the street.
thanks for words of wisdom and keep them coming
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 18
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OP
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 18 |
thanks for your help. keep me posted on how your ponds coming along, im gonna add some lmb as soon as i can make it to laurel,ms to pick some 8 to 10" up to try and thin out the gsf. im also gonna pick up a few grass carp so that every summer im not pulling alligator weed. Sounds like the same issue I have. Although in my case I was unaware of the GSF issue until after I had stocked it with CC, HBG, LMB, RES, etc.
So I am sure some of my fish were eaten by the GSF but some made it I know.
What I did was add a few larger LMB to help thin out the GSF which seems they may have done so.
I also added some BG to help feed the LMB, and they tend to take over the GSF over time. Since I already stocked HBG I figure it wont hurt to have some natural HBG between the GSF and BG I already have in the pond.
My concern is I over stocked my pond, but I plan to give it at least 2 years to see what happens, if it comes time to kill off I will but at this point I am going to let the LMB do there job, and I will do mine pulling as many of them out when they get over crowded.
From what I have read on the site, this tends to be the case when you catch more LMB per cast then you do BG.
Now take this as info from a guy that took the word or a fish farm on stocking his pond and working I choose to do so to make it work. Experts on here will have much more info and recommendations but wanted to let you know that you’re not the only one out there with this problem.
Thanks
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 18
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OP
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 18 |
ok i found 3/4 of why why pond has green sunfish,2 big goldfish, mosquito fish, and huge huge turtles. ok my neighbor behind me was a marine biology teacher for 25 years and when summer was out he brought the aquarium fish they had in the classroom and they went into what is now my pond. so now i have to fix this problem that was created and put up a fence!!
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,840
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,840 |
That is crazy. Who knows what you have in that water, you may not want to swim in it.
Then again for guys like me, I would like that BOW. That is why I like creeks and ponds that get flooded by rivers.
You take some worms, or guess just about anything and you never know what you are going to catch.
Makes for a relaxing day anyway.
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 18
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OP
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 18 |
thats true the turtles are huge and starting to annoy me by eating all the fish food i put out so they may end up at the huge nature reserve down the road. at night time it relaxing with all the frogs chirping and the coons and red foxes drinking from the edge of the pond. this morning i saw a baby blue heron sitting at the edge of the pond eating minnows
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