pond is appx.4 acre - max depth 8 ft. have bass-crappie-treadfin shad-minnows- channel cat-blugill- would like to add crawfish.need source and time of year to stock- plus qty. per acre....pond in east tx. [canton area ]thanks harvey

I typically place 400 crawfish into my 8 acre pond each spring - apparently crawfish either do well and flourish or don't take at all to a pond. It's an all or none scenario. In my case I was lucky and they survived and multiplied so I have a good crop of them - I caught a two pound bass last week and his craw (sorry for the pun) was full of a large crawfish. I get mine from a nearby wholesale bait shop - some larger grocery stores have them at times and you can purchase them their. Biggest problem I have had with them is keeping the birds and racoons from harvesting them. I just place them along the muddiest part of the pond when I release them. If established they are a great addition to the forage base.

harvey you mentioned you have threadfin - have you had any problems with them? do they survive the winter or do you restock each year?

If you call Texas A&M's Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences, Fisheries Extension office, they have a listing of crawfish farmers.
Reach them at (979)845-7473.

Any problems with crayfish muddying up the water in clay or muddy bottom ponds? I've heard that is a disadvantage along with possible seepage from their holes.

Cecil I have a good population of crawfish established and have not had any problems with muddy water.

What kind bottom do you have in the pond?

It is very clear water with a mud(black dirt)/clay mixture. Apparently the mud along the banks of the pond is the key to their survival for burrowing purposes or so I have been told. I also have a large rock jetty that juts out into my lake about 40 feet and I find alot of them in and around those rocks. I had a few crawfish and several years ago began stocking about 400-500 each spring and they are now well established. Hope this helps.

Crawfish in Texas bass lakes like Tim K's do well because they have rock outcroppings in which to hide under water. They don't get a chance to muddy the water because once they leave the confines of a rock, they become a menu item.
A nice bass snack. Show me a pond muddied by crawfish in Texas, and I will show you a pond with no bass.

thanks for all info ...havenot had shad dye off .they can survive to appx.43 to 45 temp. harvey

SORRY....HOME IS CANTON , TX. IHAVE CORRECTED THIS SINCE THIS POST , HARVEY

I've found that the crawfish seem to do well if I take them out in the boat and release them on the outside edge of the cattails. This gives them some quick cover to move into and seems to keep the raccoons from snacking on them as easily.