Do crappie and catfish eat bluegill eggs?

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Do crappie and catfish eat bluegill eggs? #111150 03/12/08 08:34 AM
Joined: May 2004 Posts: 150 ENNIS TEXAS J JHFV Lunker
JHFV Lunker J Joined: May 2004 Posts: 150 ENNIS TEXAS	I want a LMB Trophy pond and i have crappie and catfish in it. Last saturday fished for 1 hour and caught 11 crappie. When i feed pellets you can count the catfish so i know i have a bunch of them and have started the culling for fish fry! But shouldnt i leave a few catfish in it? I can deal without the crappie if i need to get rid of them. I have a real good base of CNB and other perch for forage. And i got a blue heron that comes around everyday. I was gonna get me a decoy for him and try it. What about the tall white ones can you shoot them? I watch both of them peckers from my house with binoculars and they would catch a fish or to every 2 to 3 minutes. I was burning up!

Re: Do crappie and catfish eat bluegill eggs? JHFV #111169 03/12/08 09:34 AM
Joined: Jan 2006 Posts: 16,555 Likes: 411 Hurst & Bowie, Texas D Dave Davidson1 Moderator Lunker
Dave Davidson1 Moderator Lunker D Joined: Jan 2006 Posts: 16,555 Likes: 411 Hurst & Bowie, Texas	LEGALLY, you can't shoot them. However, it is also illegal to shoot chicken hawks that are getting your chickens. I suppose it depends on your goals and your outlook on life. It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color. Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done. Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP Grandpa

Re: Do crappie and catfish eat bluegill eggs? Dave Davidson1 #111256 03/12/08 06:29 PM
Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 168 N.C. T turkeyfootnc Lunker
turkeyfootnc Lunker T Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 168 N.C.	I don't think crappie eat fish eggs but white perch are known to eat fish eggs.

Re: Do crappie and catfish eat bluegill eggs? JHFV #111534 03/14/08 03:45 PM
Joined: May 2004 Posts: 150 ENNIS TEXAS J JHFV Lunker
JHFV Lunker J Joined: May 2004 Posts: 150 ENNIS TEXAS	NOBODY KNOWS?

Re: Do crappie and catfish eat bluegill eggs? JHFV #111535 03/14/08 03:48 PM
Joined: Aug 2004 Posts: 8,854 Likes: 3 United States Bruce Condello Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Bruce Condello Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker Joined: Aug 2004 Posts: 8,854 Likes: 3 United States	Just guessing, but I'd say that catfish do, and crappie don't. I've observed a lot of crappie behavior and I am not really aware of them doing a lot of rummaging around for eggs. I'll bet they might on rare occasion do so, but I think it would probably be unusual. Catfish on the other hand are opportunistic and omnivorous. I'll bet if they found a nice clutch of fish eggs that they'd dive in pretty quick. Holding a redear sunfish is like running with scissors.

Re: Do crappie and catfish eat bluegill eggs? Bruce Condello #111538 03/14/08 04:40 PM
Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 22,032 Likes: 483 Miss. E ewest Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
ewest Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker E Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 22,032 Likes: 483 Miss.	My initial look agrees with Bruce. The real big time egg/fry eaters are the lepomis ssp. ( BG , RES , GSF , PS etc).

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