Since I'm going against the tried and true methods with some of my management, I will send updates on how things are going. Last fall I created about 12 spawning beds for SMB. I made about 2-3' circles with 12"-24" boulders and filled them with about 8" of 2-4" rock because that is what I had easily available. I had previously stocked FHM earlier and there were millions of them. In Sept-Nov I stocked 500 2-3" BG, 600 2-3" YP, 100 3-4" RES, 100 2" CC, and 200 5-7" SMB. I don't expect anything to spawn this season except the BG probably but I will be fishing anyway so I can watch the progress. I plan on managing BG populations heavily, and don't have a problem with that. I will look into HSB possibly in the near future. The pond just started running through the tube this week so it filled a year or 2 faster than I expected. We dug a few different holes and piles with the excavator to create additional contour throughout the pond. I also have hardwood and cedar trees placed throughout. I have been taking pictures throughout so will upload some pics at some point.
