Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Stunted genes

I've seen ponds where the forage base has
been exhausted and there is an over abundance
of stunted bass. My questions concerns using
some of these bass to stock a new pond with
an established forage. Would there be
stunting characteristics in the future
offsprings where genetics might be a concern ?

I was thinking the same thing this weekend. I fish a conservation pool that is full of stunted bass, but every year I catch a couple of 6 lb'ers. This lake has plenty of food. I believe
the stunted bass must carry this on to the next generation. In a days fishing I might catch 50, 8 to 12 inch fish. I might catch 2, 3 lbers per year from this lake. The bigger fish are real chunky and don't look at all like the long skinney stunted bass. I wouldn't want the stunted genes in my pond.

It’s probably not a mater of genetics, but available food. When the forage base was wiped out the bass stopped growing. If you moved some of those fish to a pond with lots of food and few predators they will grow.

In the conservation pond there is lot of food but how big is the food? The six-pound bass have great supply of food in the smaller bass. What do the small bass have to eat that will enable them to get big? Also lots of the 8 to 12 inch fish are not making it to adult hood because the 6-pound bass are probably eating them like candy.

a stunted bass has lots a few years of growing, how many?? However they will grow like crazy if put in a situation where they have ample food.
duckbutt what you're describing is typical stunted bass populaiton. THe few bass that get over the hump as mentioend can eat larger prey items this means large bluegill and other bass. However the other bass will not grow b/c of too much competetion for similiar size forage. Has little to do with genetics.

squeeky and duckbutt :

There have been a number of posts recently on fish genetics . See below for example.

http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=20;t=001834

In the case you are describing I don't think the stunting could become a genetic factor in the short duration that the genetic line of fish in your ponds have been there. The fact that there are some big bass from the same genetic line argues against that being the case. I agree it is probably lack of food of the right size and quantity at the right time.

I want to add to Greg's thoughts , the fact that a stunted bass can be old and be small. It may be 10 inches and be 6-7 years old . You would generally not want to put a small bass near its life expectancy in your pond. Before it could recover and grow to say 3 lbs , it may be at its life expectancy and die of old age. Unless you intend to age these fish prior to placing them in your pond you may want to consider another route. ewest