Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Magnolia Crappie -Hybrid Crappie

TJ, just make sure you get some predators in the little pond to clean up any of the offspring the crappie produce. I like Eric like the HSB idea. Since you goal is trophy crappie, don't pellet feed them. Make them hungry so they hammer your baby crappies. Is there much structure in the smaller pond?

T

Zero cover with exception of pvc stubs of various sizes I hammered into the bank for FHM reproduction. I was thinking of adding a couple pvc trees to try and congregate the crappie.

If I end up doing this I will post pics from my efforts Thursday with Rex.

Actually, TJ approached me on this a while back. If I had regular access to my pond, they would already be in there.


TJ, I was unable to reach Bobby at Malones to find the details on what they suggest for stocking rates, feed trained, and sizes. I'm spending tuesday night with my grand kids in Little Rock and will head to Malones early Wednesday and check out the fish. If it doesn't look or feel right, I'll walk away from the HBC.

This is just my opinion, but I would limit the cover for the crappie to increase the likelihood of predation by the HSB... Anyone else have an opinion on this?

Personally, I would like to see a pond managed for regular crappie just to see if control truly is maintained in the normal mix of species. I'm just the delivery boy on this one! I have to admit I am excited to follow the rsults though.

Perhaps my second post after joining the forum will explain why. Back then I had no frikin idea what ewest's post meant---now it's clear as mud!

My second post

I'm stocking the Mags in a .2 acre pond devoid of anything but forage - PK Shrimp, GSH, and FHM.

I need suggestions on whether or not I need additional species present to cull the reproduction - if I truly need any. I was hopeful the GSH and Mags would crop the YOY Mags to extirpation? I can add some Male CSBG, YP, F LMB, HSB...my goal here is to create a trophy Crappie BOW understanding I'll need supplemental stockings every few years. I'm open to direction - Eric??

I think go with the small pond and add the BC followed by HSB . If need be you can add more of them or 1 LMB at 12 inches can work on them in a .2 acre pond. You can also seine to achieve the wanted balance easily if needed. Point is .2 acres should be easy to manage around. I would try to stay as close conceptually as you can to the SEP model.

Thanks Eric. I will add a few HSB and some Male CSBG. This should be a useful exercise as the research should be valuable to the forum - to my knowledge I'll be one of the first to experiment with Mags.

I would make sure the BG are all males... If the goal is for trophy crappies, there is no need for adding any BG. The large BG will compete with the small crappies and the BG will produce lots of offspring making it harder for HSB to control everything... Plus, BG aren't a preferred forage of crappie. Adding a few male BG for trophy BG potential won't make much of a difference though.

The male BG in a .2 acre pond will eat quite a few BC yoy subject only to gape limits. You don't want a reproducing population of BG in that pond.

Only adding HSB and Male BG...and only a few at that. I'm pretty confident in my ability to determine BG sex - I will let you know how the Mag stocking goes.

congrats and good luck on the new project, TJ. Start thinking about deversifying the forage for this spring, and a way to grow them out.

The Magnolia/Hybrid Crappie experiment has officially commenced.

I've been raising forage in mini pond 3 [Cedar Pond] which is .2 acres, 1.5:1 slope, max depth 12'. GSH, FHM, and PK Shrimp have been established over the last 12 months, so when Rex kindly asked if he could bring some Magnolia's up during his visit to Bruce I was ready to pull the trigger.

The Goal:

1. Raise trophy Crappie [15"+]
2. Verify scant research available stating Hybrid [Magnolia] Crappie offspring are inferior and don't represent overpopulation risks of regular black or white Crappie IF STOCKED WITH PREDATOR FISH.

With this mind I ordered 150 3-4" Mags - here they are in the truck, healthy, happy, and ready to be introduced to their new digs.




This is Carl - he's my favorite




After exchanging some water and allowing them to adjust to the new water temperature and chemistry, it's time to release Carl's brothers and sisters



Off they go to grow



Based on the theory presented by Jeff Slipke at the Conference and Eric and Travis I also stocked 6 4" HSB and will be adding some Male BG in order to help control reproduction. It's my hope that between adult Mags, HSB, and Male BG I should be able to keep up with any Mag offspring. Considering this is an isolated BOW with very little runoff therefore running little risk of flooding my main lake I can make some mistakes and simply drain and begin anew should things go awry. I like that...minimal pressure.

This winter I may add some PVC trees in order to try and congregate the Crappie, might add supplemental stockings of GSH and FHM - otherwise I'll be collecting and entering data next year and will keep everyone in the loop. With luck we may have found a crappie that, in conjunction with the right combination of predators, can function well [grow large/not overpopulate] in small waters.

My thanks to Rex for his willingness to travel all this way, to everyone's interest and advice on the project, and my compliments to the condition of the fish upon arrival.

TJ, this is gonna be a neat project. Sounds like you have thought it out real well.

Welcome to Nebraska Carl!

Home sweet home says Carl while he enjoys his new found freedom.

TJ you may not get any or only limited Crappie reproduction this spring in your location. They may not be mature enough. Need to check on that.

Neat project. Watch closly and keep good records. I see a PB article on this down the road.

Very cool project TJ. Keep some detailed records, this has the makings of a future pond boss article. In fact I'd email Bob Lusk and tell him what you're doing and ask him what type of info he'd like to see gathered specifically for a PB article. I like your out of the box thinking.

Dang Eric, you took the words right out of my keyboard.

Further proof that brilliant minds think alike.

Thanks all for the props and for your guidance...It's a honor to tackle a project that might provide assistance to my PB bros...

What's a Magnolia crappie again? Sorry I didn't read the entire thread.

BC x WC hybrid - supposedly faster growth and inferior offspring allowing their numbers to be easier to control preventing overpopulation. At least that's what the HATCHERY says...we shall see!

Thanks TJ. I'm looking forward to your results. I have mounted some monster BC X WC crappies up to 21 inches.

Wowsa...intriguing to ponder how large I can grow these guys.

Eric

.2 acre pond
150 4" Mags
6 4" HSB - is that enough?
How many Male BG should I stock to help curb reproduction, if any?
Thanks AGAIN in advance

I'd also consider adding 1 LMB. In a .2 acre pond, just one LMB will do a great job of thinning out the crappie as well and with only 1 you have no worries of goofing up and ending up with a breeding LMB population.