johnval1 wrote:


I don't want to get rid of the bluegills then. I guess I will just leave
them alone.


Take them out for table fair,, your not going to hurt a 4 acre pond
eating the bream out of it, with you being the only fisherman

I had NO idea the crappies were a problem. That's it then, these suckers
are going down!


I've seen 20 acre ponds get ruined because of the number of crappie in
them. They are not recommended in any pond under 30 acres, and then
they must be targeted for harvesting on a regular basis, at least 50 lbs
per acre removed each year, with a 100 lbs not too much harvested per
acre each year.

I don't recommend using live minnows in a pond that small, they to, can
overpopulate a small pond, and some get away when your fishing with
them. Try using very small jigs and spinners, toss out every crappie
caught regardless of the size (of course eat those big enough, or give
them away) You might need to put a couple of trees in the lake to get
the crappie to hang out in a couple of places, it makes catching them
much easier. Don't be surprised to catch many under 4 inches long.

I would also be a bit worried about northerns eventually being a problem
in such a small pond, they are not one yet, in your pond, but they could
become one as you get those crappie out.

We have a 60 acre state lake that sells 22,000 daily fishing permits a
year. They keep it stocked (regular stockings) with bass (only when
needed), blue gills, and catfish. They do not restock the crappie, yet
they harvest over 6,000 lbs of them a year (they require all kept fish
to be weighed before leaving). There is a healthily, sustained,
population of crappie in that lake.

--
Rodney Long,
Inventor of the Mojo SpecTastic "WIGGLE" rig, SpecTastic Thread,
Boomerang Fishing Pro. ,Stand Out Hooks ,Stand Out Lures,
Mojo's Rock Hopper & Rig Saver weights, and the EZKnot
http://www.ezknot.com