By Scott Cherones
Southeastern Pond Management

Despite their unsightly appearance, crawfish have long been served as the main course from the backwoods of Louisiana to New Orleans' five-star restaurants. In addition to their role as a Cajun culinary mainstay, we have recently recognized crawfish as a powerful pond management tool, capable of quickly boosting the growth and condition of largemouth bass.

The first time a pond owner asked me about feeding their bass crawfish, it made perfect sense. I can't tell you how many times I have caught a bass, looked in his mouth and seen orange pinchers sticking out of his throat. It happens all the time in rocky lakes and streams. Bass love 'em! Then again, largemouth bass are not exactly picky consumers. They will eat just about anything that doesn't eat them first. Aside from the obvious fact that bass love to eat crawfish, there are several things that make these crustaceans an excellent bass forage option.

They are readily available, relatively inexpensive, easy for bass to capture and they have a super-high protein content. Like tilapia, crawfish also make a terrific substitute in ponds too small to support threadfin shad. After seeing the results a few of our more innovative clients were achieving on their own with crawfish, we got excited.

Last spring, we stocked crawfish in some of our more aggressively managed ponds. In the fall, we conducted electrofishing evaluations in many of those ponds. The results were impressive. Bass that were previously in average condition had put on weight... in some cases, lots of weight! Two words best describe the results of stocking crawfish: immediate and noticeable. Unlike other forage species we stock in ponds for bass, crawfish provide a direct benefit. (The goal when stocking most fish species is for the individuals we stock to reproduce; then the reproduction feeds the bass). With crawfish, the idea is reversed.

The individuals we stock in a pond are intended to be consumed themselves. A secondary benefit is that some will likely survive and populate the pond with future generations of crawfish. Stocking rates from 50 to 100 pounds per acre seem to produce the best results. In really larger lakes, lower stocking rates may be necessary simply because of economics. There is something else a pond owner will realize after adding crawfish. For a month or two after stocking them, you can hammer the bass on anything that resembles a crawfish. The bass just get keyed into feeding on them and go crazy.

Paul Bracknell, owner of Dream Lake in west Alabama, says he can guarantee his clients fast fishing after stocking crawfish. "It's like flipping a switch," Bracknell says. "The bass turn on and grab anything red or orange with a vengeance." BAM! That's not the sound of Emril Lagasse seasoning an entree. That's a big bass slamming your crawfish-colored crank bait. Call us and let us tempt your bass this spring, with a high protein Cajun boost.

Scott Cherones is a fisheries biologist and co-owner of Southeastern Pond Management. Southeastern Pond Management provides consulting an management services for pond and lake owners throughout the southeastern US. Scott may be reached by calling 888-830-7663, or by email: scherones@sepond.com.