Author Topic: Planting crappie... Question  (Read 3749 times)

Offline 5loaves2fish

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Planting crappie... Question
« on: Dec 14, 2014, 11:28 AM »
My brother just bought a new place that has a pond on it.  It is a spring fed pond, about 2.5 acres in size, but only 4 feet deep.  Would this be sufficient to plant crappie into?  I am in michigans upper peninsula, where we sometimes see 30+ inches of ice.  Thought it would be cool for the kids to get a permit to plant something in the pond.  What do you think?
Banjo

Offline Gills-only

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Re: Planting crappie... Question
« Reply #1 on: Dec 14, 2014, 11:50 AM »
Will probably freeze out with the amount of ice, and SNOW that wont let light down to bottom.  Crappies would probably overpopulate in a few yrs if no predator fish.  Might want to dig out to about 10" to prevent freez-out.  Don't think u need a permit or anything if you own the whole pond!

Offline UncleJoe

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Re: Planting crappie... Question
« Reply #2 on: Dec 18, 2014, 11:53 AM »
Check with the “Pond Boss” site, it is all pond owners and fish breeders in one spot.
 http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=cfrm&c=4

Offline UFCreel

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Re: Planting crappie... Question
« Reply #3 on: Dec 18, 2014, 06:16 PM »
My state does not recommend stocking crappie. They eat to many other juvenile fish. Can darn near wipe out a small pond.
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Offline 5loaves2fish

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Re: Planting crappie... Question
« Reply #4 on: Dec 19, 2014, 07:45 PM »
Hey guys, thanks for the replies!  Uncle joe, great link!!  I did some research and it does look like crappie may not be the best choice.  Maybe gills and perch....
Banjo
Banjo

Offline Gills-only

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Re: Planting crappie... Question
« Reply #5 on: Dec 20, 2014, 05:46 AM »
Hey guys, thanks for the replies!  Uncle joe, great link!!  I did some research and it does look like crappie may not be the best choice.  Maybe gills and perch....
Banjo
             Perch are minnow eaters also, but the average perch I think lays 200,000 eggs, just think if 1% survive, is that 2,000, that's a lot of little bait stealers in a acre pond!!

Offline UFCreel

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Re: Planting crappie... Question
« Reply #6 on: Dec 21, 2014, 08:33 AM »
Best bet is to add an aerator, dig it deeper, and plant for a one acre pond. 100 channel cat 200 large mouth bass and 200 bluegill. After a few years you can start to harvest bluegill.
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Offline Gills-only

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Re: Planting crappie... Question
« Reply #7 on: Dec 21, 2014, 11:19 AM »
Best bet is to add an aerator, dig it deeper, and plant for a one acre pond. 100 channel cat 200 large mouth bass and 200 bluegill. After a few years you can start to harvest bluegill.
              Channel cats although fun to catch and eat, will eat  everything in that pond, including small bass when they get bigger!!  Had cats in my pond and they will eat a 9" gill no problem!!

Offline UFCreel

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Re: Planting crappie... Question
« Reply #8 on: Dec 21, 2014, 12:18 PM »
This is what is recommended by IDNR. Per 1 acre pond. This being Illinois. Its probably wrong just like just about everything else in this state. I have The IDNR pond book and what I recommended was out of it. Harvesting the fish you plant is the only way to keep any pond in check and productive.
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Offline Gills-only

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Re: Planting crappie... Question
« Reply #9 on: Dec 21, 2014, 12:26 PM »
After I took the channel cats out(some 15#) the gills and bass flourished.  Have gills up to 10" bass up to 4#, there hasn't been a fish takes out of this pond in 30 yrs except the cats, and catch very few gills under 7"!  This pond has been catch and release for 25-30 yrs, if you have enough predator fish to keep them in balance they will thrive.  Put the cats in as experiment was bad for my pond. 

Offline Kevin23

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Re: Planting crappie... Question
« Reply #10 on: Dec 21, 2014, 05:58 PM »
No. They will overpopluate. Our DNR refuses to stock private water with crappie unless the water is over 5 acres and a minimum of 10ft deep.
EYECONICFISHING

Offline Gills-only

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Re: Planting crappie... Question
« Reply #11 on: Dec 21, 2014, 06:10 PM »
No crappies and no perch!  You will have a million in just a few yrs!!

 



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