Dave - Thanks for your info so far.
I saw the same over crowding thing happen in a small (1/2ac) pond when the guy stocked too many walleyes/acre. The guy was a "know it all fisherman" and said he could seine enough minnows to keep them and other newly stocked predators fed. First year walleye grew from stocked sizes of 5"-6" (250/ac) & 7"-8" (50/ac) to 1 yr growth in the pond of 9"-10" and 12-13" respectively. This wasn't too bad of growth considering how many he stocked. Second year no growth; same sizes. He had way too many fish of all species stocked. He would not listen to me initially but he's learning now. He did some thinning in 2001 and I haven't talked to him this yr to find out how things are doing and the walleye growth during 2002. It is frustrating trying to make recomendations to a guy that knows it all. Since he can catch them he knows all there is to know about them.
NOTE ON SURVIVAL: My experience has taught me that fish need a 'fair' amount of fat going into winter for high percentages of survial. With ample fat they can survive 4 -5 months in 39 deg water and not eat and be "healthy" at ice out. The other option is provide them with ample forage during winter ice cover. But if they are 'skinny' in autumn, forage is and was during the year in short supply, because they are currently thin. Thin fish (often hatchery raised) in the fall can often have fairly good survival during winter if they were restocked into a new system with adequate forage.
PS: Did you know the student Kent Werlin? I did some diatom identification/counts for his wetlands project of the Upper MO Rv. via SDSU?
