Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Hybrid Crappie ?

Any info or opinions of stocking Hybrid Crappie in a new Pond with LMB BG. FHM?

Welcome to the forum! Need more details - size of pond, what are your goals? I have experience with HBCP can hopefully help but we need more details.

i think most members don't like crappie in their ponds...even hybrid crappies

it really depends on your goals

i stocked hybrid crappie and have fun with them and guests do too

i think crappie are beautiful fish

crappie can over-populate and eat fry and forage of more popular pond fishies

Read through this thread from our Archives section. It has several links to discussions about hybrid crappies.
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92447#Post92447

New pond is 1.2 Acre, 80% full at this point. I have not added any fish at this point. Plan is to ASAP add FHM 10/15 lbs 800 to 1000 BG My pond is in Virginia and not sure if CopperHead BG would be a good choice? + 200/300 Redears
Then late summer add F1 LMB
This was reccomended by Suttle Fish Farm

Fish Wagon suggested the same thing but added the Hybrid Crappie option to the above.
So i want to be sure i am making good choices.

Thanks for sharing and the links

Do some homework and look into adding some HSB to assist the LMB to together they perform better control of your panfish especially since you are adding HyBCP (hybrid blk crappie, black nose crappie also called HCP) to the pond. A good number of HSB to start with in 1.2 ac is 20-30 if you use HyBCP. HSB are a high quality fish with lots of benefits for a fish community you are planning. Note to self - southern style BG are copperNOSE not copperhead. Copperhead is the snake.

Unless you are in an area that rarely, if ever freezes, I would stock Northern Bluegill. Coppernose BG (CNBG) will either die, or grow poorly in waters that get any annual icing over.

HyBCP have no known instances I'm aware of where there was any overpopulating in ponds with LMB present. HyBCP are treated like channel catfish, a put and take fish, meaning you will put in new fish as wanted when some are removed.

What are your fishing goals? Larger BG? Larger LMB? A decent size mix and frequent catch rate?

Thanks Rainman. Ponds will freeze over maybe once a year for 4 or 5 days. With that being said I think I will stick with regular BG. Zetts Fish Farm is about 2.5 hours from me so I think I will go pick up my fish instead of waiting for a fish truck to come to the coOP. Any fear in a 2 1/2 hr drive if they pack them in oxygen?

As far as goals I am reading as much as I can. And will make a decision what direction to go.
For now I am going to get a head start and stock FHM. And the BG.

Any info on Zetts? Good or bad. The call their strain of BG Giant?

Fish bagged with pure oxygen will travel well for 2.5 hrs. Make sure they know the travel time is 3hrs. Zett's promotes a few of their own special strains of fish species. This is a sales attempt to be unique and attract customers. Their BG are likely a decent northern strain of BG. There are no public reports of their BG being and growing exceptionally well. Everyone has their own way of sales and promotion to attract customers. I know of other fish farms that sell BG & other fish to Zetts,, so their special strains of fish are not always unique nor purely raised in-house.

In PA, if you provide plenty of food for the BG and don't let them become overabundant you should be able to grow them to 9"-10" in 5-7yrs. If you are doing things correctly, expect the fingerling BG(2"-3") after stocking to be 1yr=4.5"-6", 2yr=6.5"-8", 3yr 8"-8.9", 4yr=8.7-9.3", 5 yr 9.5-10",6yr? Slower growth rates means they are not getting enough food and likely too crowded!. Remember, to get optimum growth for BG, protect the males and harvest mainly females. Once they get large 8"-8,5", harvest those 7"-8" and release those males over 8.2"-8.5".

Thanks Pond Bosss.Bill That is some great info and will help me out a lot. I am going to pick up my fish next Sunday.