Relocating crappie?

[stinkbait]

Does anyone know if it is legal to take crappie from overpopulated lakes and putting them in missouri river?Kids catch alot of little,This way they can keep them,without me cleaning,em.

[Kit Papermouth]

Best just to fillet the little guys and give the meat away. Or give them to someone who will spend the time to clean them.

I recommend against transfering any fish (including bait fish) from one water source to another unless you own the body of water being transferred to (private pond).
Transfering fish has a probability of spreading exotic species like the zebra mussels and even a virus that the existing population of fish is immune to, but not fish in the body of water being transfered to.

Zebra Mussels have been found in LOZ this past year.

G.

[saluki]

I live on a lake that is full of 6"-8" crappie, a friend has a private lake and asked if I could put some in. Will they have a chance to reproduce? I dont know anything about this kind of stuff... The IDNR told us to keep anything out of our lake, but cleaning 6" fish sucks.

[hogster]

Saluki i have transfered crappie from the lake to my moms pond 3-4 years ago and now it is plumb chucked full of crappie.So yes they will reproduce at a good rate.You will have to keep them thinned down or they will take over a small impoundment and become stunted.

[saluki]

The pond I will be putting them in is about 2 acres. What do ya think 10,20,30? Thanks for the input Hogster.

[bugman]

When i transfer crappie i try to only move black crappie because everything i have ever read says blacks do not spawn as heavy as whites and are less likely to over run a small body of water,2 acres is a pretty good size pond so i would'nt think 100 or so would hurt as long as you have some bass in it to help keep the numbers of small ones down.

[hogster]

I agree with Bugs 2 acres is goog sized pond.I think i would start with 50 or so.I only put 25 or so in moms pond and 3yrs later they are really nice ranging from dinks to 12-13 inches.Keep in mind this pond has a healthy population of bass and hybrid perch in it also.So im sure they keep them thinned some.
But you can go down there and catch 20-25 keepers just about any day.The grandkids have a blast between the hybrids and the crappie.:D

[saluki]

The pond has bass, bluegill, and channel cat. I'll throw in what I catch Sat. morning, if the weather gets better. We're supposed to get some snow tonight...

[fryguy]

i'm not sure what the other fellas think, but it would probably be a good idea to do it again in spring after the spawn when they are chock full o eggs. if you or your buddy went out and caught/bought five or six walleye to put in with the crappie then you shoudl be in good shape in terms of keeping teh body of water overrun. that is what they have done in most of the "healthy" ponds with crappie in them in millstadt and it worked great. just don't take the walleye out because they will not reproduce, but they will live a nice long time and eat a ton of the crappie fry. i'm assuming both of these ponds are strip pits (god i love that area!) so they can maintain really nice crappie populations. somebody caught a 3.5 pounder out of one of those 3 club ponds in millstadt i was telling you about.

[beagle man]

the peole I buy my fish from Dunns Fish Farm Ar. say black crappie reproduce 90%males I put 3walley in my pond 1.5ac. and bass and pearch all the stuff minnows and the population is good catch good ones some 10lb. cats. and 2lb. hy.pearch(fun) so go for it just oh one thing to remember the limits size and numbers when you transport fish limits still count.