Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Pond update

To add to TJ comments especially in red - in case the BCP (applies more so to WCP also) do survive to a reproducing age then you probably will have population mgt problems. Here is the archive thread on crappie and it is full of info.

https://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92447#Post92447

A huge issue with crappie is the boom and bust cycle of reproduction which becomes unmanageable in small waters. DD1 is right with his comment on most eggs/yoy being eaten. Survival as a species in a pond/lake is always about #s. An example - crappie have been documented to produce in excess of 500,000 eggs per female/yr one source and 200,000 in other sources. Other species don't come close to that number -- even BG are in the 10-50 thousand range. At five to ten times the reproductive potential as BG , crappie can quickly overwhelm a pond. If 50 reproducing pairs have 500,000 eggs/yoy each that is 25 million potential offspring. If 95% are eaten that still leaves 1.25 million 1 yr old crappie who can spawn in year 2. You can run the numbers from there on and see the scope of the possible problems. There are some ponds who for unknown provable reasons do well with crappie but it is a big risk.

Here is a small sample of Study text.

White Crappie Tank Culture and Out‐of‐Season Spawning
Charlie M. Culpepper III ,Peter J. Allen North American Journal of Aquaculture 2016 American Fisheries Society

Despite the popularity and socioeconomic value of crappie fisheries (Miranda et al. 2013), crappie population management has provided a difficult challenge to fisheries biologists for decades. Boxrucker and Irwin (2002) provided a synthesis of the fisheries research and challenges hindering crappie fisheries management. Typically, both White Crappies Pomoxis annularis and Black Crappies P. nigromaculatus overpopulate their environments, particularly in small impoundments (<20 ha), limiting crappie fisheries to large lakes and reservoirs (Busack and Baldwin 1988; Mitzner 1991; Allen and Miranda 2001). Crappie populations often fluctuate, with a dominating single year‐class being produced every 2–5 years and the years in between having low recruitment and stunted year‐classes (Swingle and Swingle 1967; Busack and Baldwin 1988; Parsons 1996; Miranda et al. 2013).



An Exploration of Factors Influencing Crappie Early Life History in Three Alabama Impoundments
Russell A. Dubuc , Dennis R. DeVries Transactions of the American Fisheries Society
2002 American Fisheries Society

Although black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus and white crappie P. annularis represent important sport fisheries in North America, we still know little about what influences their variable recruitment. Several abiotic (e.g., water level fluctuations) and biotic (e.g., prey abundance and size structure) factors have been suggested as important to crappie recruitment, but results have not been consistent among studies. We quantified adult characteristics, larval abundance, growth, diet, and postlarval juvenile abundance of crappies in three Alabama impoundments to determine factors consistently affecting crappie life stages across systems. Although adult condition (relative weight, Wr), fecundity, egg diameter, gonadosomatic index, and ovary weight differed among the three impoundments, the differences were not consistent with among‐lake differences in chlorophyll‐a concentration. Larval density was highest in the least productive system (Lake Martin), and larval production was not related to either adult condition or fecundity. Diet analysis indicated that larvae 4‐14 mm in total length strongly selected the smallest prey available in all lakes but that larvae in Lake Martin consumed greater numbers and a higher biomass of crustacean zooplankton than those in Weiss and Jones Bluff lakes, probably because of the higher density of large zooplankton in Lake Martin. Despite the generally earlier presence in spring of crappie larvae in Lake Martin during both years, age‐0 crappies in that lake were not larger than those in the other two lakes in summer. This is probably attributable to cooler early‐spring water temperatures in Lake Martin. The catch of postlarval juvenile crappies was higher in the more productive lakes than in Lake Martin. Collectively, our results were not consistent with our expectation that lake productivity would positively influence the density of both zooplankton and age‐0 crappies. The lack of a positive relationship between larval crappie density and system productivity or zooplankton size was an unexpected result that is probably important to the early life survival and eventual recruitment of crappies and that warrants further investigation.
However, little is known about factors affecting early life and eventual recruitment of white crappie Pomoxis annularis and black crappie P. nigromaculatus, despite their importance as sport fishes. Because crappie populations typically undergo cyclic and variable recruitment (Swingle and Swingle 1967; Allen and Miranda 2001), identifying mechanisms influencing year‐class strength is desirable.
Clearly, production of eggs and survival of larvae are important in determining year‐class strength (Siefert 1968). Density‐dependent reproductive potential (i.e., increased fecundity and increased larval fish production at low adult density) has been suggested as important for renewing crappie populations during periods of reduced adult density, as might occur with heavy exploitation (Jensen 1971; Healey 1978; Mathur et al. 1979; see also Allen and Miranda [2001] concerning the influence of environmental factors on density‐dependent recruitment in crappies). In addition, abiotic factors may influence the spawning activity and early life survival of crappies (Jenkins 1955; Goodson 1966; Mathur et al. 1979; Mitzner 1984). Increased water levels, both before and during spawning, may provide more favorable conditions for crappie reproduction by increasing the coverage of vegetated areas, which are preferred as spawning habitat (Hansen 1965; Beam 1983).