Black crappie easily reproduce in ponds, sometimes even to the detriment of other species. If you’re hoping to establish a fishing hole wholly dedicated to delicious and feisty black crappie, then you’re probably in luck. It’s quite another thing to try to balance a pond with another sportfishing type like bass, though. Crappie spawn earlier and in greater numbers than bass, so you’ll quickly find that crappie youngsters are likely to dominate the pond, gobbling up all the forage fish and even feasting on the younger, smaller bass. Prolific breeding means they can easily become overpopulated and competing for an inadequate food supply, leaving the entire pond composed of stunted, small fish. Black crappie are preferable to white crappie, who are even more prolific breeders, but they still require careful, sometimes aggressive management.
In a managed crappie pond, it is necessary to fish regularly and harvest strategically to keep your population in check. Sometimes this means you’ll be removing fish that are too small for the table. It’s a mistake, however, to throw them back so they “have a chance to grow” -- too many young mouths at the table means that none of them will grow well and you’ll have a virtually endless supply of stunted, unsatisfying fish. Because of their tendency to multiply so readily, it’s also not a great idea to try to keep them in a smaller pond, say less than 2 acres. You can consider, instead, stocking hybrid crappie, who do not reproduce well and therefore will not crowd themselves out even in ponds as small as ½ acre. Annual restocking of young hybrid crappie and regular harvesting of the older ones will keep your pond from bursting at the seams while you can enjoy those tender filets you love. Be sure to discuss your pond’s specifics as well as your goals and budget with a local fishery expert. They can help you with developing a stocking and harvesting strategy that can keep you going for years.
