Crayfish are pretty inactive in water less than 55-60F. Papershells will be carrying eggs in late May-June. You will get a crayfish hatch in 2017 but most of the young could get eaten by panfish. The adult carys will survive well until the SMB are big enough to eat them.
Pellet trained stocked YP will eat primarily pellets and not a lot of FHM, but they could eat numerous YOY crafish. Stocking two sizes of YP will get you some 10-12" YP by this fall. If the YP with several 6"-8" are stocked in late March early April2017 you will get a YP spawn this year. You only need one or a few egg ribbons to hatch in 2017 to give lots of YOY YP with basically no predators. Check with Shelby to confirm some availability and pick up of egg laden YP with some males along with your perch order. He is open now and selling some fish. I got FHM from him 3 wks ago.
Your stocking plan sounds pretty good for your goals, except depending on how skittish the females are in your family. Lounging, floating, idle swimmers will get nipped by the HBG. Frequency of nippping will depend on several factors. Nipples and body moles look very similar to a fish pellet or snail.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 03/10/17 10:52 AM.
