Crawfish Ponds....who's been there/done that?

[RodinaRanč]

We're in the process of putting in new lil duck pond. Its on a creek bottom with good clay content to hold water and provide stable burrows for mudbugs.....should back up ~7-10 acres.

Already planning on installing a drain in the dam, and thght we might as well try raising a few bugs as well.

For those that have done it, how much of a PIA is it to mess with'm?

[RaginCagin]

We're in the process of putting in new lil duck pond. Its on a creek bottom with good clay content to hold water and provide stable burrows for mudbugs.....should back up ~7-10 acres.

Already planning on installing a drain in the dam, and thght we might as well try raising a few bugs as well.

For those that have done it, how much of a PIA is it to mess with'm?

Its really not a pia. April and May are the best times to stock. We have always stocked 50 lbs to the acre.. Since it will be a duck pond are you planting anything? Most crawfish ponds consist of rice stalks left after harvesting but Sorgum and milo stubble works really well also. It may take a few years to get a good stock but i have seen good results after just one year. Also make sure it is not to shallow to where the pond loses oxygen quickly.

[bearintex]

You'll be covered up in bullfrogs. They will eat their weight in crawfish every day.

[Cajun Blake]

send a pm to McClain

Mr Ray knows more about crawfish than BOB knows about cooking food , snow boarding, and metal bands combined

actually he has his PhD in crawfish aquaculture

it's my understanding crawfish cannot just grow or be farmed in any environment , lots of variables need to be researched to make sure the population is sustainable

otherwise your just adding to the ecosystem

[RodinaRanč]

Thanks fellas! Bullfrogs don't bother me...they're delicious marinated in mustard & thrown in the fryer

Ive read thru a "How to" published by LSU & it seems to be straightforward & minimal effort/maintenance if the pond is built right from the git go.

Was planning on planting millet @ the end of the month, but its not a problem to mix in a lil of watever is needed & will benefit both ducks/bugs.

Average depth oughta be 3-4' with some holes in the existing creek being left where it could be 6-8' when full.

I assume i can buy seed stock from an existing farm? & what about re-stocking? Is it needed every few yrs or is it a once & done deal?

Thanks Blake, i'll certainly shoot a PM...im fearful of the unknown when it comes to oxygen content, etc. I have a well close by (~ 300' )to supplement water if need be & i could certainly levee/drain from upstream when/if needed.

if i'm going to do this, i wanna do it right.

[RodinaRanč]

Josh, i've read to put seed stock in, in Oct. Any particular reason you suggest April/May?

[RaginCagin]

Josh, i've read to put seed stock in, in Oct. Any particular reason you suggest April/May?

April-July is when you will have the most equally balanced ratio of male to female crawfish in ponds for reproduction. Once September comes around most females have started burrowing so if you buy crawfish to stock in October you will have a majority of males.Also its not real easy to find crawfish for stocking in October.We have always used what they call peelers for stocking. Its the small crawfish most people dont want to boil and thats the ones you see peeled in the supermarkets. They are small, cheaper and you get a lot more crawfish per sack.

[RodinaRanč]

Makes sense. Thanks!

[McClain]

Just found this thread . . . As Blake says, lots of variables. I am unclear as to whether this will be a "farm pond" with the hope of harvesting some crawfish, or is the intent to establish a crawfish pond were the crawfish, not fish, dominate? Either way, stocking should be planned for spring/early summer. Other variables such as vegetation, water depth, etc. will depend on which scenario is desired.

[johnpaul]

You'll be covered up in bullfrogs. They will eat their weight in crawfish every day.

Yes they will. Here is the winning stringer of 15 frogs from a tournament I put on. This was the 2nd annual tournament. 15 frogs weighed 27.61 lbs... The guy who won was a crawfish farmer and said they caught 200 close to this size out of one pond. He said he didn't think there would be any frogs in there because he never caught any crawfish but it was just the opposite!! The frogs were eating all the crawfish before he could catch em! It is hard to tell in a picture how big they are but when 14 frogs span the width of a tailgate they are pretty healthy.

[McClain]

Crawfish farmers are concerned with frogs and birds, largely because they are highly visible. While they can have some impact on populations, fish are usually the main culprits in terms of predation!

[RodinaRanč]

Thanks for the info Ray! I responded to your PM as well.

[Landrover]

Never developed one, but spent a lot of times cleaning choupique and gar out of them.......literally enough to fill pick up truck beds!!! Good ole days for sure!!!

[McClain]

Well, look at it this way -- every fish in the pond can eat up to 5 or 6% of its weight in crawfish every day, day in and day out. Even a small green sunfish eating hatchlings can consume several sacks of crawfish in a season had those hatchlings made it to harvest size.

[RodinaRanč]

Just a follow up.....took your advice & utilized another pond (nowhere near a creek with good clay bottom)... Apparently i have a coon posse. Got a few burrows, but literally 100's of bodies with claws ripped off, so no looky too good