Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations old bass

I did some searches last night on here and a few online, but couldn`t find really any good info on this subject. Saying you have proper amounts of forage fish, cover, water quality.
Your pond has had great LMB growth over 8-15 years depending on climate where you live. You have been culling out males and other sluggish growing LMB. You have a few handful of female LMB that have been 7-11lbs, but have gotten of age and growth has stopped or regressed.
Question being at what point do you remove these big headed skinny bass? If they are still producing young, are they passing good genetic growth onto the young? Taking up food away from your upcoming 3-4 pounders. Just couldn`t find info if it`s out there.

Big headed, skinny LMB also could mean that they no longer have the correct sized forage fish to eat, and now are expending more energy catching smaller fish than the calories that the smaller fish provide.

If it was my pond, I'd print out the relative weight chart for LMB, get a tape measure and a good scale and check the relative weights of all the LMB, removing the ones that are under 90% RW (if you are managing for larger LMB and not large BG).

If you are managing for large BG, then any LMB caught that was over 15" would be removed.

I agree with the correct sized forage for the larger bass. But do female LMB pass down growth traits to offspring? Weather that be good or bad traits.

Yes female and male LMB pass down the growth traits to the offspring. If the goal is growing these large LMB, then maybe have a professional (Lusk or Greg Grimes) evaluate the fishery and consider adding a larger sized forage fish if the ecosystem can 'handle' it and your goals are trophy LMB. Possibly there are too many trophy LMB in the pond/lake that are simply over eating the larger prey items??? Too many big bass can also be a problem.