Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Corrective stocking Stocking Mud Bugs

Hi Kingfish - wow, a 70 acre lake...most of us can only dream! Bill Cody is our expert mud bug man, imagine he'll be along shortly to set us all straight.

Few observations to help if possible: Many sources online for crayfish, offering live delivery, but these are the Rusty or Red Swamp crayfish which are larger and typically preferred for table fare. I believe the Red Swamp is an aggressive burrowing type, which is troubling for obvious reasons; and the Rusty is considered an invasive species which can extirpate native species due to their aggressive nature. Some states have laws restricting importing Rusty's [like NE] to prevent them for establishing a population and spreading throughout the watershed, which will likely occur.

With that in mind, I'd recommend steering away from either of those species and would focus on hatcheries who can provide native species for your area. A quick google search or call to NRCS should be able to provide your native species list. I agree with others' assessment that your lake probably already has a population of crays - minnow traps baited with beef liver will provide a glimpse of their presense/population. Might be good to assess that prior to making decisions on stocking them.

Cody and Willis have mentioned on multiple occasions that crays do not convert nearly as well to protein as fish. Not saying they're worthless, but aren't as effective a forage source as fish. If your goal is to improve your LMB WR, I'd consider investing in forage fish like Tilapia, Golden Shiners, or Threadfin Shad or impoving your BG population. I believe TFS can survive Alabama winters and many LMB fishery managers here are big advocates of them. Annual stocking of TP could get pricey - but it works and helps manage any FA issues you might experience. GSH are widely used with success, also, and aren't expensive. Lastly, a feeding program to help your BG population increase also will serve to improve your LMB forage base. A combination of GSH and TFS in addition to a BG feeding program if one is not in place currently is what I'd be focusing upon to improve the forage base for your LMB. Hope some of these ideas help!