re: Adding crawfish to supplement a pond

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They taste like white perch?

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To me they do.


Edit to add: All this isn't rocket science. In a perfect word you would drain the pond, deepen it (or at least clean the bottom) and start over. However, that doesn't seem like it is really an option to you. So, you are going to have to deal with trash fish. The bream and bass (or catfish) will handle the smaller fish but you can also make sure you eliminate any trash fish you catch when you are fishing.

Sure, you would want to start with minnows and move up the food chain as you go with stocking but it isn't a mortal sin to just start adding fish. Find out what works for your pond and constantly refine it.

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True, mostly online stuff I wonder if I should still put coppernose in there or wait?

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I should have asked, did your Uncle stock “fingerling” bream, bass and black perch this past summer that he obtained from a fish hatchery, or did put in some random low number of larger “mature” fish that he or someone else caught by “hook and line” (fishing).

If the latter, I’d personally work on the assumption that the fish your Uncle added this summer may not have made it, and then yes, I’d stock fingerling coppernose bluegill and redear sunfish combo in Nov or Dec, followed by bass fingerlings in May/June. If you want to add channel catfish for variety, add those this winter as well along with the bluegill and redear.

I’d suggest you get a water sample from the pond, but not after a heavy rain, have it analyzed by a pool store for hardness, alkalinity and pH. If the pond is located in the piney woods area of central LA then hardness and alkalinity might be low and the pond might require liming prior to fertilization in the spring. If alkalinity is low, add agricultural limestone this winter (takes several months to chemically react). A pond that is low in alkalinity and pH will not properly respond to additions of fertlizer when the water warms in spring.

This guy gets it...He answered every one of your concerns correctly.
1) Drain pond if possible..This is done to ensure hardy and tolerant bloodlines of the stocked fish aren't compromised by wild diseases of native species
2) Never stock hybrid species. Any true hybrid will be genetically sterile..
3) Copper Nosed Bluegill - correct
4) Never stock Black or White Crappie..Your pond isn't big enough for them. They are avid spawners and even bigger eaters. Your pond would be stunted if you did
5) Stock according to pre-determined ratios...There are ratios for a reason. They know the number based on hectares of what best promotes trophy growth.
6) If you want variety stock a defined amount of channel cat. Exactly right. Why? Because the eggs of channel cat need running water to hatch. They will not hatch in a pond; therefore, the Channel Cat will not be competing for food.
7) If it were me I would first stock it with mosquito fish (Gambula Rostrata)..allow to sit for a period of time then stock with current state ratios
8) Crawfish also need rising and falling water to reproduce. Females lay eggs when the water has dried above and they are in their small pools below surface in hopes that when it floods she can carry them to the surface waters to grow. If you put crawfish in they would feed your fish once. Waste

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Gambula Rostrata

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Gambusia affinis?