Pond Boss Forums FISH & FISHING Sunfish-Including Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass Black Crappie from 3.5" to 9.5" in year.

Put in on April 12th last year right at 3.5" (pic included). Caught 2 today to see how the looked and both where right at 9.5" (pic included).

The stocker crappie even looks a little stunted due to its oversized eye. Your example is how fast fish can grow if given abundant food. Good work. Keep them growing and let's see pictures of them every year.

Bill I kind of thought the same thing when they were delivered. They have pleanty of food now. If I can just keep it that way for years to come.

You're going to have some good fish dinners !

Yup experienced same growth rate. Ravenous little guys!

Thanks, I am looking forward to several fish fry's.

Liquid that is good to know. Do you know what growth you got out of the BCP the following year?

Same experience here. They really put on the size AND weight when food is plentiful.

Expect your crappies to spawn this spring... What predators are in the pond to eat all those soon to come babies?

1,800 CC right at 2# (pic below CC caught same day). I have limited the shallow water structure to near non existent. I am using the open water predator to help control the BCP population. The edges are loaded with GAM's. I also destroyed a lot of the shallow water breeding area for the BG (pic caught day included). Cut steep banks to a 1 to 1 slope on the red clay hill side areas. Left just one small protected area for BG spawn. I can also control this BG area when the BG bed by dropping the water real fast and exposing the beds. I can then use my high volume pump to flood the area again after successfully interrupting the spawn cycle. As I have said on here before my pond management techniques are Outside the Box (not normal). I will probably same sex some LMB this year if it ever looks like the CC can not keep up. I am trying to keep the # of LMB down since they would compete with BCP for smaller forage. I also supplemental feed 15#+ fish food per day (50# bag every 3 days). Just incase you are a numbers guy my current BIOMASS is right at 1500# per acre.

Ever consider HSB?

If you have a predator that can control the Crappie from overpopulating, that means the predator has to be in high abundance and won't they become stunted? Then, what keeps that predator from eating everything else? Mainly, I am thinking that the crappie are growing well because of plenty of food for them, why isn't the predator that eats the crappie also annihilating the crappies food source?

HSB work well on crappie , should not stunt as they do not usually reproduce in ponds , but must be stocked/restocked over time. A HSB ladder stocking should work. See recent crappie posts for a plan. Also the next issue of PB mag will have an article on managing crappie.

CJB I have for a second BCP predator. My thinking is I may need something that will hit the BG a little bit. If I need another BCP predator it will be the HSB.



Fish In my thinking was CC (or even HSB) can be supplemental fed easy enough to relieve some of the predation on the natural food chain. The CC can also be supplemented a lot easier to prevent any stunting I would be worried about as the switch to a more natural predatory diet after their first year. CC are also such a scavenger that they will feed on a lot more than just what the BCP eats. The CC will probably even be eating the BCP eggs at spawn. To me LMB also tend to feed on the Gam's near the edge while the CC does not. My thinking is this allows more Gam's to survive & raise more offspring for the BCP. In the end way my thinking goes the CC is just a more diverse predator that will take the easier food source. This will mean the CC should prey on an over abundant BCP and not much of the BCP food source. I have HSB as the #2 option because they do not have a far ranging diet as the CC. The LMB is my #3 because they can reproduce and their offspring is more of a food competitor and predator with BCP.



Thanks Ewest. The HSB is the next predator on my list for BCP. I was not clear earlier that if I have a issue with the BG I was planning on same sexing a few LMB to work on the BG in the few shallow areas. I have also never had a issue with the CC reproducing in this pond. Part of my plan is to remove CC for fish fry's as they age and introduce back #1+ CC.

Tums - Your plan for crappie is creative which includes some stocking back-ups. It seems to be working for you. Please keep us advised as to the progress of your crappie pond. Others can learn from your out-of-the-box thinking and experiences. Good work and thanks for sharing.

I'll let you know as soon as I can sink a line in the pond! Still a ways of judging on my thick layer of ice. It is going to take a lot of warm rain to speed this up!

Oh, and I have observed firsthand that my walleye like to snack on small 1-2" BC. I would hang out on the dock watching the BC mill around when a WE would sneak under them and drop the count by one in a flash. The BC would swim in fast circles in the same area afterwards, and you could almost see then scratching their heads saying "now where did Fred get off to now??"

I went from quite a herd of 100 plus babies in late summer to a few dozen before the fish went deep.