Looking for input to increase crappie size and numbers in small pond.

[TapOut64]

I have a 1.5-2 acre pond out behind my house. So far I have caught crappie, bass, white perch, and catfish in it and I know that they stocked it with grass carp. My biggest crappie is only 9" with most going 7"-8". I also have never caught more than 5 in one day and that includes taking my kayak out on it and covering the whole body of water. A large percentage of the lake is 9'-10' which is the deepest water. I put three of these out behind my house three weeks ago.



Some days I will catch a few crappie off of them but most days not even a bite. (I know they need some time for algae to grow on it) The lake has shad in it as one day I watched about 25 cormorants dive down and come up with them. The bass are decent size in the lake I am guessing because of this but the shad are too big for the crappie to eat. I have seen a few minnows swimming along the shore but not many.

I have considered bringing crappie home to put in the lake but if there is an inadequate supply of minnows for them to eat I wonder if I should buy a bunch of minnows to put in the lake first?

Any ideas as to how to increase the crappie population and size?

[CrappiePappy]

The general consensus among biologists & pond managers is : don't put Crappie in less than 50 acres of water, and don't put White Crappie in small water bodies, at all. They're too prolific & will readily stunt.

The Shad being in there is also a problem, because the larger predatory fish will eat them ... rather than the smaller panfish.

That's what I've heard, anyway. And it held true on a small lake around here for many, many years.

[deathb4disco]

The general consensus among biologists & pond managers is : don't put Crappie in less than 50 acres of water, and don't put White Crappie in small water bodies, at all. They're too prolific & will readily stunt.

This ^^^^^

Turn it into a good bluegill/bass pond and forget the crappie.

[Ketchn]

sounds like you have enough predators in the pond to keep them in check to me.
but fishing the pond will give you the best idea .
if you only ketch little fish its likely the pond is full of them and they need to be thinned out .
only black crappie in that pond though and no white crappie is the best case scenario for sure .
more porcupine balls in the deep end to give them a hide from the birds might help as well .

[TapOut64]

if you only ketch little fish its likely the pond is full of them and they need to be thinned out .
only black crappie in that pond though and no white crappie is the best case scenario for sure .

A lot of people like you think that when you only catch small crappie that the body of water is full of them and they need to be thinned out however, I have never caught more than 5 crappie in one day so I don't think the pond is loaded with them, just simply that the one's that are there are small? And we do only have black crappie here in SE Virginia.

[PawPaw Gene]

Maybe too many large predators? Maybe it wasn't stocked in the right order and the crappie have no chance.

"gene"

[SKs Crappie Catching Adventures]

My thinking is if you have comrads spending time on such a small lake there's a lot of fish there especially with them being successful on their dives.......
More than likely your pond is over populated as some very experienced fishermen has already said......

[Atimm693]

Crappie can do well in small ponds. There's a 3 acre pond not far from me that has an excellent population of 12-13" black crappie, although it is much deeper, at 23 feet.

You really have to keep the fishing pressure on them, and other predators in the pond. If you just go in and cherry pick the crappie, then you will have very few of them, and a population of stunted bass. Keep every bass that you catch.