Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Corrective stocking Muskies in a 1 acre pond

I can tell you that I have had a similar problem with my small pond (slightly smaller in area than yours but deeper) and I have no Muskies....CC are 100% my problem. As Bocomo said, CC are also apex predators and will eat anything at all they can catch. Ask the 120 3-4" HSBs that I put in there a few years ago, never to be seen again.

And as fishnchips said, CC's are notoriously good learners specific to becoming hook shy. I'm in the middle of draining and resetting my little pond for this exact reason. IMHO your issue is probably the CC's at least as much as if not more than the muskies.