Thread: Pond advice/ideas?

The intent with the small pond was for it to be a 24 hour "crappie fish market". Just walk over there and pull out a dozen anytime. So pulling them will happen, but the ones we put in last year are still kinda small. Although, I have fished it again since I started this, and I will say they are a little bigger than when we put them in last spring, but not the size we were hoping for. Maybe by summertime?

Originally Posted by ragencage

I'll have to disagree 4 acres is too small to manage crappie in. It might be doable for a few years, but eventually (within 10 years) it will be overrun with small fish. But, I do agree on the bass controlling the crappie population somewhat. In a pond a bass is there only predator. This is all from my experience in MS. It may be different up north. The state biologist doesn't recommend stocking crappie in a pond less than 100 acres I believe it is. If I had to put crappie in a pond that small i'd go with a black crappie or hybrid

I understand...100 acres is what is recommended so you don't have to spend the extra time managing it!
Plenty of people have done a Crappie pond and enjoy the work sustaining it....the ones that don't enjoy "managing it" have a stunting problem!
I gave him the exact advice to get it in order, then it is up to them to keep it that way!
So what is the difference of having a 4 acre Bass Pond, with Blugills that can spawn several times a year and deposit 100,000 eggs, or a Bass Pond with Crappie that will lay 100,000 eggs?? It's all about Management!
You need to have plenty of self sustaining forage (minnows) for the BIG Crappie to grow....and the BIG Bass will manage the Smaller Crappie....THEN you add a Cat species in Smaller numbers to help the Bass to manage them....same idea as how you start a "true" Bass Pond! Bass, 'gills, and Cats (or equal Predator for your location)!
The Main key to a healthy pond, besides water quality (depth, O2, fertility, etc., etc.,) is cover for the forage and keeping a sustaining population! Then it's up to you to manage the Prey population!

Originally Posted by van the man

The intent with the small pond was for it to be a 24 hour "crappie fish market". Just walk over there and pull out a dozen anytime. So pulling them will happen, but the ones we put in last year are still kinda small. Although, I have fished it again since I started this, and I will say they are a little bigger than when we put them in last spring, but not the size we were hoping for. Maybe by summertime?

You have to provide food for them to grow....a bunch of small Crappie can devastate minnows that have no protection or cover, if you can't get a couple good Minnow spawns, the crappie food is gone!
Once you get more cover in for the Minnows and get a population, you will see the size improve....and the filets will be even better!

One other thing that has affected the big pond...
We were in a sustained drought for a few years, which brought the pond down maybe 4 ft. He ran a line from his well 2 years ago and brought it up about 2 1/2 ft. Last year, record rainfall had it going over the dam. I think the higher water resulted in a huge spawn success and now we are seeing the results; dink fish. That, and we rarely catch a bass that gets kept. He wants 8 pounders in there, and huge crappie. We want keepers in little pond for the pan.