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Thread Like Summary
4CornersPuddle, gehajake, jpsdad, Pat Williamson, Steve_
Total Likes: 7
Original Post (Thread Starter)
by SkunkedAgain
SkunkedAgain
Are bluegill better to use in a pond that you want to be self regulating for populations? I prefer to catch crappie rather than the gills, but I had a pond with gills LMB and crappie in and I had a big crappie spawn followed by a spring die off of fish, including the larger LMB, then within two years the pond was totally stunted with hundreds of BCP... I assume I could have increased my LMB numbers and that may have pulled my crappie numbers back to where they wouldn't starve to death, but I wasn't actively managing my pond to realize the bass were gone until it was too late... Drought has forced me to start over, so I'm wondering what would be the best mix for a small approximately .5 acre pond? I do like CC and SMB would either be good to add to the mix? Thanks J
Liked Replies
by jpsdad
jpsdad
That's my understanding too Pat.

I would think most anything that is appropriately sized is one the menu throughout their life. So this would include fish fry for even the smaller BCP. But fish fry are not very abundant relative to other organisms they eat so smaller BCP eat invertebrates primarily. By the time BCP reach 8" in length, it takes a fish or large invertebrate to meet the definition of appropriately sized ... so above this size we see fish dominating their gut contents.

BCP are fish that like to school. Because of this they are concentrated and it can be difficult to find them. They are not always in brush ... same goes for WCP. It is not uncommon to find crappie cruising open water or suspended. My experience with crappie is that they seem to always be ready to eat if you can find them. In Summer and Fall months I would troll for them. This worked to find where they were and I would try to circle through them. My favorite lure for them is a small sassy shad during this time. During the winter and pre-spawn I liked to fish for them in brush (off my dock). I also like to fish around the drain tower (used to source water to water treatment plant) right through January and February. Winter caught fish are the best IHMO to eat. Brush attracts a school of BCP for rest and morsels. But they are so concentrated in a school ... I think they get most of the sustenance cruising around ... many times in open water. So open water hold more crappie ... even adult crappie ... than we realize. Crappie will use these open spaces to feed on forage that prefer the same habitat (stuff like TFS, RSH, GSH, and small GSHD).

I think the key to good crappie fishing is eliminating their competition. Primarily most lepomis but especially BG should NOT be present. They do not mix well with LMB-BG combination unless they are bonus fish that is large and is uncommon in the catch. My thoughts on BCP are that they should be paired with a robust large gape predator that is large in size and combine to make about 1/5 to 1/4 the standing weight. Predators that are a minimum of 18" in length that are capable of keeping up with the 3" to 6" crappie. So if we imagine a standing weight of 120 lbs of BCP ... we might also imagine a standing weight of 30 lbs of large predators like Female Only LMB, or even single sex FH. The key I think is a predator base that is not very competitive with small prey and small prey that won't compete heavily with the BCP for food or even for predation. Really good fishing requires, I think, no BG, large non-reproducing predators, lots of small forage like PK shrimp, GAMs, possibly crayfish, RSH or equivalent member of the satinfin shiner family. Ladder stocking of the predator would probably be required ... something consistent with the life span or possibly growth. Predators adapt to limited supplies of food and grow slowly ... the key is the size of the predators and their standing weight. The predators must be large enough to consume BCP in their second year (>4") and not so many that they eat too many of them.
3 members like this
by Pat Williamson
Pat Williamson
It is my understanding of BCP that yoy go out in middle of pond to feed on tiny zooplankton til they are bigger, then go after fish when they are bigger. Also my understanding that the young don’t hide in structure till later..... correct me if I’m wrong
1 member likes this
by Pat Williamson
Pat Williamson
Agreed
My BCP have really suffered due to large and abundant LMB and thousands of BG! If I had it to do over there would be no BG and same sex LMB...... hard to make lemonade out of bitter lemons..... but we will try to remove some of the offenders.....
1 member likes this
by gehajake
gehajake
I'm of the same opinion as Pat W and jpsdad, BCP spend a lot of time in open water other then during the spawn, even then mostly the males will be in the brush creating the spawn area and fertilizing the eggs that the females just come in for a short period of time to lay their eggs. like jpsdad says, I have filled many a livewell with BCP and WCP by trolling, you seldom see people trolling for them but I am one of them. I use a Charlie Brewers slider jig on a 3/32 to 1/8 oz jig head. in warmer water I use a 1/8 oz and slow down a little to allow the bait to run deeper in the water.
1 member likes this
by Tony K
Tony K
Steve, I have been thinking about doing that this spring, read several threads here about it. Another option I am trying in another pond(.10 acre) that has too many BG is blue cat. I will start another thread when I see how it goes.
1 member likes this
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