Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations CRAPPIE - HELP PLEASE

Built a 2 acre pond 2 years ago. It filled at the end of last summer (2014). I painfully, carefully stocked bluegill, minnow etc.... then bass and have pretty good thing going. Great bluegill action based on feeder action, and shoreline visual inspection. Been catching bass that are measuring good on the length vs. weight charts. So i thought life was good. Then while drowning some minnows this past weekend, i proceeded to catch 5 crappie (size 4" - 10"). I never stocked crappie. ONly thing i can figure is that during the May deluge - water was running from everywhere and these probably came in from some ponds that carried over from neighbors lands.

Have always heard that you cant' successfully have a 2 acre bass and crappie pond. I would appreciate thoughts on what i should do going forward. I've put alot of money into this pond with the construction and stocking, not really wanting to start over - HELP - THOUGHTS

My pond is located near Paris texas

I would say it's possible to have a good bass and crappie pond. It does require more management and forage. I personal would remove every crappie caught for the knife even >6". Anything you can do to remove as many hungry mouths as possible.

drown more minnows...

Well the only hope is that you got them after they have spawned! And you need to catch as many as you can before next spring!!! That sucks there is just no real good answer man. If you don't want to start over the only other thing would be to maybe have a shock survey done and any crappie shocked keep em! You may get lucky and get them all.... Between fishing for them and shocking just maybe.....

RC

Trouble is, even if you were to remove all or nearly all of them, what's to say they wouldn't show up again? Best option is just to manage them, remove as many as possible every time you fish. I'm sure your largemouth will try to help out as much as possible too.

David, it would not do a lot of good to "start over". Unfortunately, whatever species is in ponds above you in the same watershed, those species will always become part of your pond also...often, whatever is below your pond can swim upstream into your pond as well.

If your LMB have had a good start before crappie showed up, you have a good chance of having those LMB helping a lot in managing them also.

Agree with others' input about culling.

I've found the best time to really put a dent in the crappie population is early in the year when they are schooled up.

You can catch them one after another, and that should help.

I'd also cull every one caught regardless of size.

Was fishing the other evening in my almost 2 year old pond for crappie with a 1/32 oz jig, hung a 6" YOY last years baby , started to reel it in and a very large bass nailed it . Fought it for 15-20 seconds not gaining any line at all, and mrs bass let go of the crappie leaving no scales on the whole backend. So bass will definitely help with the population. Guessing it weighed 5-7 lbs... Bucket stocked

Dang Pat. Yer bucket stocked are probably bigger than I will ever raise in my pond!

Hung another one the next day that was 3 easy spit the jig on the second jump

David,
I feel your pain...I Stocked CNBG, RES, and FHM ONLY last summer. But now I can catch a GSF or GSF Hybrid just about every other cast...no idea where they came from, but I got'em...my newly stocked LMB are too small to eat them, so I've been actively removing some.

Charlie,

Enjoy the GSF. They are fighters. I didn't stock any but caught one in my pond and threw it back. Hope the little fella finds a BG or PS girlfriend and passes on some of that fighting spirit! ..... I guess Dave is wearing off on me!

Bill,
I might as well...I appear to have two distinct spawn sizes, and more to come I'm sure.

Hey,

GSF cross warmouth will be awesome on ultra light!

To be honest Charlie, I think I only have one GSF and I know how it got in the pond. With only one, the only results can be one forever or a cross. Either I am ok with.

I have a neighbor that I met last weekend near the farm. He has a mature 1 1/2 acre lake with some big mule headed LMB in it (bodies atrophied ). He said all his bait is gone...the LMB are eating their own spawn. So, I put in 50 GSF between 2-4" to feed them and maybe get some bait started.

Boy Charlie that is quite neighborly of you! I wish I had neighbors like that.... Oh wait I do! They throw their unwanted bass in my bow

Don't be so sure Bill those things can fly I think

Perfect! I hate to hear stories about guys throwing away unwanted fish. You found a place for them. IMO there is no such thing as a bad fish. It's when man moves them to where they don't belong that the problems come in! Just my 2 cents.

Well I got a kingfisher everyday hovering and diving, a a GH that thinks he owns the place and more GBH than a dog can chase away in a lifetime. Sure hope somebody is dropping off not just taking away!

Well Pat, at least I asked his permission before I stocked them...wouldn't have done it without doing so...lol.

What is GSF - Don't know that acronym

Green Sunfish

Acronyms

GSF=Green Sunfish

I experienced the same crappie problem as you, and coincidentally, I'm located near Paris also. The crappie showed up 4 years ago when I caught about 20 in a 3 week period in the spring. The crappie were the black variety. I caught about 10 or so the following year and have caught none since. Maybe, your problem will correct itself. Incidentally, I prefer to catch crappie and wouldn't mind having them if they were not such a problem fish.