How about cormorants that hit the pond, and were gone before you knew it?
How about if a few catfish(or another stray predator fish) got in there and started wiping out that smaller size BG early on? I think I would fish with a small BG and see what you come up with.
Never seen a cormorant near our area. The shocking didnt show any signs of any unwanted predator fish, nor has my 2 years of fishing.
I didn't think we had cormorants either. Never seen one around in say a 45 year span. The wife went for a walk one day and she comes back and says there are a few in the pond. I say no-way. She whips out her camera and there they were. I spent most of my time the next few days around the pond discouraging any re-visiting.
I don't know, but I think a catfish or two would be hard to shock up. Anybody ever have them show up in a shock survey when they know they are in the pond?
Not saying these are/were your problems, just tossing the idea out there.
Yea, I know an unwanted predator or 2 is not out of the question. It's a very plausible scenario that would explain a reduction in forage fish and spawning prior to fingerling LMB being stocked.
Does anyone think it could purely be that the numbers stocked were no good? Again....
