Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Crappies, cull or not to cull

We have a nice 7 acre lake in Charlotte, NC that is well stocked with Bgill, cats, LMBass, a variety of pan fish and crappie. I read in another posting that in lakes smaller than 20 acres you should cull all crappies. If that is your recommendation I'll accept it, but can you give me some of the reasons why?
Also, could we add crawfish in the spring?

Thanks

Dear 1morecast:
Crappie make a poor selection for stocking in a small pond because they tend to ruin the population balance between species. Here's how:

* Crappie have a hinged jaw that allows them to swallow sizable prey, which puts them in competition with bass and catfish.
* Crappie tend to spawn earlier in the spring than do bass, so the juvenile year-class feeds on fry and fingerlings hatched by the largemouth. Again, we see competition with bass.
* With adequate predation by large bass, the crappie capitalize on the first two factors above to over-populate and outstrip their own food supply. "Stunting," it's called.

Crappie CAN be managed effectively, but within a few years, they get to be a lot of trouble. Now you see why most pond professionals are reluctant to stock them in lakes smaller than about 20 acres.

Merrry Christmas, all!
Mark McDonald
Editor, Pond Boss

1morecast: In addition to what Mark said - crappies have a lot more eggs at a younger age and smaller body size than largemouth. Example: Crappie start spawning at 6" to 7.5" long compared to bass that don't start spawning until about 12" to 14" long. A 13" crappie can lay up to 325,000 eggs per female whereas reproducing female largemouths lay 2,000 eggs for small females to large females 20,000 eggs. See how baby crappies can quickly outnumber and compete heavily with baby largermouths. Plus as Mark said, crappies are hatched earlier and get a headstart on the food items, thinning it down before the hatchling largemouths "hit the scene".. . BC

An alternative to crappie are coppernose bluegill. They grow well in your neck of the woods. When someone tells a biologist they want crappie in a lake, what they are really saying is this,"I want a fish we can eat." Coppernose bluegill are an excellent choice. They have tasty, flaky flesh, and fit well into the ecology of a smaller lake or pond, when managed with bass. And, coppernose regularly grow larger than a pound.

Thanks for the info, I have learned from neighbors that the crappie were never stocked, but introduced from area lakes. If we start removing them when caught will that make a difference or are they there for the long haul? Judging by Mr Lusks comments they must be good to eat, I know the cat will be happy to have the free meal!