Ackerman1 - Pond 1 - are there any bluegill in this pond? If you are uncertain then get some worms and hiit the shallows and catch some They will be in spawning this coming weekend on the dark moon. The concern here is that with 2 pound bass already in the lake the fingerlings probably do not have a prayer for survival. You need to stock 20 8" or larger black crappie and let them spawn. After spawning season in 2010 remove every crappie from pond regardless of size. Do not put any pressure on the bass population

Pond 2 - Add several bales of hay to assist in clarity and adding nutrients to the pond. Break these up.

Add some brush for the crappie near the shoreline and some untreated wooden pallets stack several on top of each other and peg them with a "T" post into the bottom.Put the pallets in thigh to waste deep water.

Call NABUTEK Supply (sp?) in Claremore and buy 1 gallon of fatheads and stock them in the pond. The pallets provide spawning structure for the fatheads. 1 gallon stocked now should yield 5+ gallons of fatheads by Fall. They spawn all summer up until at least Sept.

Stock 6 pairs of adult bluegill and redear (12 total)in the pond. If you get them into the pond this weekend they probably will spawn shortly. Next year you may have roughly 400,000 of various sizes.

You now have a solid food source for rapid growth of your crappie. Your perch will have a good foothold in the pond to provide food for the crappie. remember the crappie spawn before the perch.

Next Spring stock 100 bass fingerlings

Wait three years then stock 20 8" black crappie. Put no pressure on the bass population. Remove every crappie after the first spawn regardless of size from this point forward.

Yes, this is a slow process but you want success. If you do not establish the food first then the crappie will canabilize their young and eventually stunt. I am establishing the food source first then stocking so you probably will not have a misfire down the road

You want a crowded bass population to maintain heavy pressure on the crappie. ODWC does not recommend crappie being stocked in a pond or lake under 10 acres.

First rule of dealing with the devil......don't. I would not recommend you stocking the crappie.