Anyone got any opinions on how big I should expect these fish to get??
Maximum size of HSB when they are fed pellets is often related to water quality. If water quality stays reasonable, 8-10 pound HSB are reasonable to expect in 6 or so years. If you have extremely good water quality where water temps stay below 74 degrees and DO stays about 5 ppm or so, you could expect HSB to max out around 14-16 pounds. I don't know the details of your pond. Small HSB are tolerant of water into the 80's even low 90's if DO remains above 5 ppm. HSB above about 4 pounds begin to become more sensitive to temp and DO needs. When they begin pushing double digits, that is when they begin needing water quality almost on the same plain as trout.
