NEW IDEAS FOR THE OLD FARM POND

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The well-known pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus) is generally much smaller than the bluegill, but in its natural pond environment this species may attain the excellent pan size of eight'or nine inches . . .and the pumpkinseed will tolerate cooler water temperatures than will either the redear or the bluegill. Some folks even stock the pumpkinseed solely for its incomparable beauty. This species is quite prone to stunting, though.

Apart from the bluegill, redear, and pumpkinseed sunfishes, none of the naturals-train Lepomis species are suitable for farm pond fish culture. However, some of the hybrid sunfishes do show promise for homestead aquaculture. Most attention to date has been focused on the so-called hybrid bluegill, produced by crossing a female bluegill with a male green sunfish. The hybrids grow much faster than either parent species and are virtually sterile, thus eliminating the problem of overpopulation. This also means, of course, that "seed" has to be purchased annually . . . and although the fish are now available commercially, stocking them can prove quite costly.

Crappie: The black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) and the white crappie ( P.annularis) belong to the family Centrarchidae, along with the basses and the sunfishes. The crappies actually occupy a niche between the basses and the sunfishes: That is, they prey on small fish (which the sunfishes. rarely do), but since they lack the basses' cavernous mouths, crappies are limited as to the size of their quarry. As a general rule, crappies either die out or become stunted in farm ponds.

The conventional wisdom is that it takes a "large" pond (this could be anywhere from 3 to 100 acres!) to produce good crappie harvests. The fish has been managed in some small ponds, though, with the key to success being a variable water level (one that's high in the winter and low in the summer). Unfortunately, most ponds aren't set up to permit this sort of manipulation . . . and there's also a trade-off involved, as this degree of fluctuation in the water level is detrimental to sunfish. Other factors that favor the crappies are the presence of forage fish, streams entering the pond, and heavy continuous harvesting. One distinct advantage of the white crappie, however, is its tolerance of turbidity . . . so if you find it impossible to keep your water clear enough for good bass and bluegill fishing, this species may be worthwhile.

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