I have never bought HBG. All of mine were naturally raised, most out of my sediment and forage ponds.
My sediment pond had been contaminated with a few GSF some how. Don't know how. I stocked it with RES and CNGB to raise fish to supplement my adjacent main pond. The few GSF crossed mostly with the CNBG but possibly also with some RES. I think they crossed so readily because of the intermittent inflows of turbid water that is expected in a sediment pond.
My forage pond (1/20th acre) also was contaminated with a few GSF (pretty sure from stocked RES contamination). This pond was stocked only with RES and from it I have got many RESxGSF crossed that have been transferred to my main pond. I think they crossed a lot because of the very few GSF had little choice for spawning partners.
Between these two ponds lot of hybrids have been created. This is the source for the HBG in my main pond.
I really like the fish. I did some management thinning of fish this fall and a very common occurrence is to catch a few GSF and several hybrids right off the bat when I first start fishing. You would think that is all that is in my pond. Then once I clear out the aggressive GSF and hybrids in the area (these go in the holding pen and get invited to supper unless they look like trophy potential), I will start catching BG.
I'm not a very good angler. I like catching fish but not really that much for the science of fishing. I get bored really quick if I am not catching something. So the HBG are right down my alley. Did I say I like them? If nothing else is biting I can nearly always catch a GSF or hybrid.
Doesn't bother me a bit to have them in the pond. I'm not a purist. We eat a lot of them.
Pictures below.
Funny story about the SMB in this main pond. In my RES/SMB pond they can become persnickety to catch. Transfer them over to this main pond (they were born and raised in the RES/SMB pond) where they have the competition of the BG/HBG and they are very aggressive towards a hook. I catch one or two nearly every time I fish near the feeder. And there are not all that terribly many in this pond, so I am pretty sure I have caught some more than once.
Description: HBG from main pond
Description: GSF from main pond
Description: another HBG possibly CNBGxGSF???
Description: SMB from main pond