Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain crayfish gone?

1/2 acre pond in southwest Michigan. I stocked crayfish in my pond several years ago. Couple different species. They took off and were visible and could be caught with a net. Small culled largemouth would be full of them. Last fall and this spring i don't see them and can't catch a single one with net or trap. Is it possible the large mouth cleaned them out?

How many hiding places did your crayfish have to avoid predation?

I think they like piles of "platy" rock the best, but that might be my observation bias since that is where we grabbed the most as kids.

They can also hide in growing vegetation or even logs on the bottom.

I think they are an excellent source of supplemental forage for all types of bass. You might consider dragging a large (non-oak) tree into your pond and anchoring it to the bottom. The crayfish will like the trunk and branches that are on the bottom. Your bass will like the branches sticking up in the water. Your forage fish will like the twiggy cover at the end of the branches until it decays.

Both LMB and raccoons are possibility's.