Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain Crappie with Gizzard Shads

If I was doing crappie I would use experiment using HSB as the main predator. HSB will prey heavily on the crappie when the crappie move into open water after hatching to grow on zooplankton. When crappie get to around 2"-3" they move back into more of the littoral areas. Use pellets for the HSB just enough to keep the crappie controlled and HSB growing. Provide ample cover for the GSH and HSB should overgraze the shiners.
If you have crappie with LMB and no minnow forage, I don't think the crappie will have enough invertebrate forage to keep them growing to large sizes. Getting the right balance established for a consistently good crappie pond is still not a dependable method.