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Thread: Stupid question. . . need advice

  1. #1
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    Default Stupid question. . . need advice


    This is a question I've been kicking around for a few years and now I know I'm in a place to get educated opinions.
    I fish a small pond (owned by a friend) that has a quality population of nice white crappie. I mean, NICE crappie. Two years ago, one afternoon, I caught a dozen, mostly from a stand of cattails, that ranged from 3/4 of a pound to three that went about 2 pounds. Something in this pond is growing nice crappie, but I don't know if too much pressure can be put on a pond population (I think that would be difficult with crappie).
    I also lease another pond that is full of stunted black crappie. No quality, but lots of quantity. In an effort to grow more quality crappie/restock a pond/save perfectly good black crappie, do I move some black crappie to the first pond? Do the two species cross-breed or compete too much for food & space to the benefit of no one? How easy is it to over-populate a pond? Or over-fish a pond? Or do I leave a good thing well enough alone? (The owner says go for it if I want to.) Advice?

  2. #2
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    In the pond with good crappie, are there any bass? If so, do they run small or large?

    How about the other pond?

  3. #3
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    I am no pond manager, but I wouldn't move fish from pond to another. Might cause problems. Sounds like the black crappie pond is over populated and you might need to keep the fish you catch evan if they are small.

  4. #4
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    Just my opinion --- Since the white crappie pond is growning healthy, well-nurished fish, I'd say it has reached a population balance and has an ample food supply for that population. Harvesting fish now from this pond should help keep it from getting over-populated. The black crappie pond sounds like it is very over-populated and needs to be fished extensively. Probably the best thing you could do for it is stock it regularly with bait fish. Purchasing shad or minnows can be expensive, but if you have a place where you can trap or net and supply the pond on a regular basis would be a better situation. Feed'em.
    Quit Wish'in and Let's Go Fish'in
    Darryl Morris

    FAMILY FISHING TRIPS GUIDE SERVICE
    501-844-5418 --- [email protected]

  5. #5
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    Not an expert by any means, but it seems to me that if you start feeding the Blacks you would have an even bigger problem on your hands.--The more food--the more they re-produce.

    To me the best choice might be to take a BUNCH of the stunted fish out of that pond, so the others can grow.

  6. #6
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    Clean a lot of those black crappie out of the second pond. If they're too small to eat, use them for fertilizer. Feeding will only add to the problem, since they aren't eating enough of their own young as it is. Do you know if the pond has predators? A couple of good sized cats or bass will help. I agree with not moving fish. You would probably wreck the first pond, possibly by introducing disease. - Roberta
    "Anglers are born honest,
    but they get over it." - Ed Zern

  7. #7
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    I might be wrong but if the Black crappie are over populated and stunted than they won't grow any bigger than they are now. It would be in their genetics now to be just that size. This is my understanding on stunted fish. I might be wrong though.
    DO-GOODER EXTRADINAR :p

  8. #8
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    I think you may be right beaver, I used to fish a pond on some property that was loaded with bass about 10 or 12" long. Throw a beetle spin or 1/4 oz spinnerbait and catch one after the other all day long but they were all the same size. We put hundreds of them in 55 gal buckets and put them in other ponds on the farm but never saw any change in the original pond, or the others for that matter now that I think about it. But in a couple of the others there were some really good fish in them.Kinda weird how ponds on the same property can become so different in fish quality.

  9. #9
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    don't ask me to explain. But a friend of mine just had a 10 ac pond build. While talking to a fish farmer about making it a great Crappie pond, he was told that crappie should be the last fish stock. 1st stock channel cats and get them establish, believe it or not crappie love cats fish fry. (with the exception that 1st goes on bull head minnows) then cats , perch, bass, crappie.
    The Crappie are always biting better yesterday - I'm always a day late.

  10. #10
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    You should probably tell me were that white crappie pond is so I can come have a "hook". I mean look.
    If you ain't tyin' - you ain't fryin'

    Take a kid fishin'
    Scrap

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