For smb stocking you may have to resort to stocking 2"-4" which are the commonly available size and usually only available in fall Sept-Oct in your region. Jones commonly has smb but all fish are pricey from Jones in Cincy. Your stocking plans sounds a little weak for the amount of forage for the smallies unless you buy pellet trained smb. If the basic prey-pan fish you are using is the RES be sure you have a strong population of them before adding the smb. RES will struggle to maintain decent numbers with numerous reproducing SMB. In addition consider adding golden shiners (GSH) or YP and even more broken waste concrete for crayfish habitat. SMB will prey heavily on the crays so they need lots of cover/habitat as in at least 2 or more shallow water (0-4ft deep) entire shoreline sides lined with rock - concrete rubble.
Why do you think it is that you have rusty crayfish in the creek???. Rusty crays are common in OH & KY but so are numerous other crayfish species. Do you have some decent close up, in good focus, dorsal and side view pics of what you think are rusty crays? Then we can verify your ID of the crays. Rusty crays are a relatively aggressive species and it takes larger smallies to eat the larger more defensive rusties.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 06/10/21 10:56 AM.
