Pond Boss Forums INTRO New Forum Member Introduction My Crappie Story and Intro

I purchased a 2.2 acre, 30 year old pond with a house in 2001. The first time we fished a lap around the pond, we caught 24 LMB’s between 1 and 3 lbs each. The pond was infested with floating bladderwort. It covered about 1/3 of the surface of the pond. I added 30 GC to help with the bladderwort, but they didn’t make much of an impact at all.

I’m an avid crappie fisherman, so I decided I’d like to have some crappie in my pond. I had read enough at that point to know that it wasn’t advisable. I had a “brilliant” idea. Over the next 3-4 years, I bucket stocked approximately 350 male BC’s. Every time I get to this point of the story, people always say there’s no way you didn’t put in at least one female.

By 2011/2012 the bladderwort problem had become unbearable again. I added 50GC at this point, which only made the bladderwort tolerable.

Over the years, I couldn’t catch crappie with any regularity in my pond and the average size of the bass declined. About 4 years ago it hit me that what I had done was added 350 mouths that needed to be fed, but weren’t reproducing and adding anything back to the bottom of the food chain. I began removing every crappie I could catch. I would catch a few scattered throughout the year, but when they would attempt to spawn I could catch quite a few. By fall of 2014 I had removed between 200 and 250. Every one that I filleted was male.

In October of 2014, I had an electrofishing survey done. They shocked up 0 bluegill, 1 RES, 1 CC, 5 BC, and 38 LMB (4 – 12”) that had a relative weight less than 70%. All of these fish were removed from the pond. The pond management company that I was using recommended draining, nuking and starting over. Like most, I didn’t want to go that route, so they recommended continuing to remove all BC, adding Christmas trees, liming, fertilizing, feeding, adding threadfin shad, and adding 400 adult bluegill. Obviously that added up to $$$.

I decided that I created this mess and I could fix it, but knew that it wouldn’t happen overnight. I began bucket stocking any pure bluegill I could catch from local lakes. After the first of the year, I added 38 Christmas trees. This past spring I attacked the BC that were attempting to spawn and removed 72 more (all male).

This spring I began fertilizing. That was a huge mistake at this point. The bladderwort problem increased significantly. I’ve since treated the pond on 2 different occasions with diquat and have virtually eliminated the bladderwort.

I have been hand feeding 2 times per day and am seeing more bluegill than ever before of all sizes. The average size of the bass I catch is still small(10-12 inches), but the relateive weights are on the rise. I believe I have things headed in the right direction. Thanks for listening.

Welcome RJ. I would have thought that the grass carp would clobber the bladderwort. It seems like you finally have things going your way.

Cool story. Thanks for sharing.

But thanks even more if you follow up for the next couple years or more. I'd really like to know how putting the adult BG in a pond that already has excess predators fares. Would be good info to know how it turns out.

Sounds like so far, so good.

It is surprising to talk to people who enjoy fishing and have fished all their life talking about putting "some big ole bass" in a farm pond without any explanation or idea about the forage base to feed them. Heck I might have had the same idea a few short years ago. Till one starts thinking about it logically and understanding the food chain, I think it is a common problem with uninformed pond owners.

Good info on the bladder wart. I'm going to go medieval on it while still manageable.

I think I would continue to add BG until I could see them everywhere around your pond. And you need to make several Res fishing trips for restocking. I would have to add Tilapia asap. Not a lot of money for 30 lbs of them and from what I have seen @ my place, they sure make a lot of fry/food for the lmb. And they keep the pond a little cleaner. keep us posted on your outcome

Tracy

Another BC story gone bad! Them dang Crappie sure cause problems it would seem! It's funny I show folks my pond at work sometimes and the first thing out of their mouth is.... You got any crappie in there? LOL....

I think there are ponds all over the world with stunted crappie and LMB in them I bet!


Good Luck man sounds like your doing ok. At least yours were all male thank goodness!! Or you would never fix the problem!!


RC

Thanks everyone. I've been a long-time daily reader of the forum. This is the first time I've felt like I had some decent info to share.

The grass carp helped very little for my established bladderwort, but the 2 treatments of diquat (about 6 weeks apart) virtually eliminated it. I'm seeing a little around the edges, and I'm hoping that the GC's can keep it from ever establishing again.

snrub, I'm not just adding adult bluegill, I'm also removing predators (all BC, all CC, LMB with RW < 80%). My son caught a LMB from a local reservoir this past Saturday that was just over 6lbs. The first thing mom asked is why didn't you bring it home and put it in the pond. I'm convinced that if I stay focused on the bluegill, that the bass will come.

TGW1, I will continue to add bluegill, but have to wait for temps to cool down a bit. I lost roughly 20% the last time I tried to transport. Tilapia was high on my list until I found out that they are not allowed in ponds in the state of GA.

Thanks again for the welcome.

What has been consistently interesting to me is how BC are not a problem in my area for most people. I seem to have a problem since I have no bass, and my top predator, WE, are not large enough to have an impact.

What I am observing this year is they had a failed spawn. No no baby BC at all. I am wondering if my Koi raided the nests.