We have a nearby lake stocked with bass and crappie. Since I do the farming and gardening, my husband has decided his contribution to self-sufficient food is to learn to crappie fish. He has been on the lake at dawn once a week and caught quite a few and cooked them. Surprisingly good!
One of my “dreams” is to dam part of our creek and raise catfish. Hubs says that if it rains they will all wash away so I’m pondering how that would work.
You just need a dam with proper spillways — regular and overflow (emergency). A common tactic for the emergency spillway is to provide a wide grassy area for the overflow. To prevent fish from going downstream, screen off the spillways. I’ll bet well installed chain link fence would hold up for a while.
Crappie to me have an odd flavor compared to bluegill or catfish or trout. Bass can be very good too: A lot (esp. with bass and catfish) depends on the water. I’ve not yet tried marinating crappie in 7-Up or (more lemony) Squirt. That works well for many fish that may otherwise taste slightly like the pond. ;-)