I read crappie is the best tasting freshwater fish, but one should not stock crappie unless the pond is at least one acre in size. The reason is they will reproduce and there won't be enough food for them to grow properly.

I have two ponds, one 25000 gallons, and one 1000 gallons. Right now I have koi, goldfish, and tons of gambusia because there is no predator fish to control the population. I want to put some bluegill in both ponds, and one black crappie in each pond. I expect the bluegill will eat the gambusia and the crappie will eat the bluegill and the gambusia. Does anyone foresee any problem with this setup?

As long as you only have one crappie, I don't see a problem. I think the crappie will target the Gams more than the BG. One fish won't make much of a meal tho.....

If you do some searching on the forum, you'll see that the minimum pond size for crappis is much larger than 1 ac. That's due to their boom or bust spawning cycles, and the time of year that they spawn.

What will eat all the small bluegill? might need to add a bass to each pond one year down the road as well.

I agree with N8ly. Might also need a CC.

Good catch Nate. I forgot to address the BG. I agree with both n8ly and ewest!

25k gal... ? I can't imagine they would ever be able to reproduce correct?

BG will. All of them may not but I bet some of them would reproduce and it only takes a couple BG. Man they have a LOT of babies before you know it you would have a 25K pond full of bait fish to go fishing with! I have had BG attempt to spawn in 200 gallons so I bet they would if conditions were right in 25K.

For my money, nothing beats fresh BG fillets, including Crappie. If it were me, I would skip the Crappie, and the native BG, and add some HBG instead. Surprise.

HBG are voracious predators, and with their larger mouths I think they might do a number on your Gams. Their severe male bias should also enable one LMB to easily control their numbers, if need be. Perhaps, that single Crappie might even serve in that capacity?

And, they are delicious.

These anti-crappie threads always depress me.

I love me some crappie.

In my mind they are one of the prettiest fish & bluegill are ugly.

I am hopeful hybrid crappie will continue to be further developed.

But I hear you guys, my pond is full of bluegill, crappie are trouble...

it's just depresssing.

Gosh, sorry Zep! Sure didn't want to rain on anyone's parade! Taste is objective anyway.... I'll go further out on a limb and admit that I don't really care for Tilapia either... I find that Tilapia and Crappie taste like whatever they're cooked in. I find them too mild, as in they don't have a "fish" flavor like Bluegill does, at least to me.

Course' I can't stand the taste of beer, either.......so it could just be me!

sprkplug....
I am just kidding around, but I really do find crappie a beautiful fish.
I don't eat hardly any of fish i catch....so I'll take your word on it.
But a place here in Dallas makes some delicious "pecan crusted Tilapia".

I'm with you on the beer....
although i've drank my share
I never really liked it much.
I remember in high school pretending it was good, but I hated the taste.

Zep- I love that BCP picture you posted. Look at that gape on that bad boy. 1" BG don't stand a chance against a fish like that.

Get out the mini jigs and heat up the oil!!!!

Just caught and released to the charcoal grill a dozen crappie out of my big pond on Friday night....I know that it's not recommended practice to have crappie in small impoundments (mine is 8 surface acres, average depth of probably 16 feet, almost 30 feet at the dam) but I LOVE catching and eating them and with a good population of LMB and also catching as many as I can I feel I can maintain a good balance.

And they are delicious IMHO...only fish better consistently is Walleye.

dl- Grilled fish, I can't get enough!

Do you have any data on the length and weights of your BCP? What's the biggest one that has been caught in your pond?

I have crappie in my 1/4 pond, so what does that say.

Skeptic -- if it works, it works.

Maybe it is old age, or maybe it is the wisdom of the years. Maybe it is just plain senility. Most of us old guys who have been managing things from aquariums to multi-acre ponds, and larger, would say you probably won't be successful.

But, as I always told my kids -- don't let negative information get in your way. My sons, and their spouses, are extremely successful in careers my generation didn't envision.

Try it. If it works -- great! Others can benefit from the results.

If it doesn't work, others can benefit from the results.

Keep posting with good or bad results. If you have photos, even if they are only of the waterline of your pond, post them.

Regards,
Ken

Depending on the size, it could say "lunch."

I'll be staying in your neighborhood for a few days after the upcoming Pond Boss conference. I'd be glad to sample some of them. Heck, I'd be glad to try some new recipes on them! Bring a cooler full. I'll supply the rest.

If all else fails, and you would still like to get together, let me know by PM. That goes for others in OK -- especially those within 50 miles of OK City/Edmond/Norman. Maybe a catfish fry, even if we have to resort to catfish from Sam's Club, Costco -- or an afternoon of noodling!

(This photo of me was taken in OK about two days days after the first PB conference at Big Cedar Lodge.



This silly little catfish hardly fed four people. I've gotten bigger bullheads in Sunil's Pond in PA.)

Regards,
Ken

I have yet to see the over population of the crappie I was afraid of and they have been in the pond since 12/2009. So this spring may have been their first to even try to spawn, and with all the LMB, HBG, BG, CC, GSF (not too many left do to adding LMB) they may not have had too many live. I guess this next spring\summer will tell me for sure.

So not sure we would have too much excitement at the pond.

Let me know when you are here and I will see if I can get away from work for a day or so.

What area are you going to be in.

MRHELLO, Are those black crappies in your pond?

Yes they are black nose crappie.

Why do you ask?