Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Corrective stocking Put and take crappie

Hybrid crappie will greatly enhance the chances of your plan succeeding. Depending on the shape of the pond fencing off an area for FHM spawning is IMO not very practical because the FHM will likely not readily use this area for several reasons. One shoreline completely lined with tree branches down to 3-4ft deep with a few intermixed sunken pallets or other FHM spawn structure would be a better minnow refuge for your experiment than a fenced off area. Extensive branches refuge should allow adequate minnow survival to feed 65 HC. If this does not work well you can always add tree branches to a second shoreline to increase the refuge amount. After two years you will likely have to add more branches to account for small twig decay.

The suggestion for planning on 12-15 lbs of predator (HSB) is IMO slightly too many predators for 0.25 ac and hybrid crappie (HC) . I would not add HSB until you notice crappie have spawned and sunfish-like fry appear. Then I would add at most two or maybe three HSB 4"-7" or 8"-10" long. Have your HSB source homework done when you stock crappie so you are well prepared to quickly stock HC as soon as you see crappie spawn. 2-3 small HSB could easily eat 700-1100 small 1" fish per year (HC&FHM); enough to control HC spawn.