A couple of thoughts and generalities.

First, 95% of the eggs laid/hatched etc. will never live until their first birthday. They get eaten.

Second, crappie spawn earlier than bass. Their mouths(hinged jaws) are the same size. When bass spawn/hatch the crappies are waiting.

With that amt. of food available everything is thriving. But efficient feeding is prey that is 25 to 30% of their body size. So, are the crappie and bass that you want to get bigger getting the right size groceries? It's a matter of energy expended vs calories obtained. So, the bass and crappie should be getting plenty of groceries but not the right stuff for them to grow to larger sizes.

I remember Lusk running into this same problem about 20+ years ago. His answer was stocking hybrid stripers that were large enough to escape predation. I expect that would be 8 to 10 inches. It took a couple of years to get results.

With that amount of groceries, I'll bet that you have bigger bass.

I would never return a crappie to the lake.

Esshup is right about the short term lease.

It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP