Alright, so I've been reading like crazy the past couple of months here. It's all great stuff, and it seems a lot of people are straying from the standard LMG-BG combination. I was reading a long post about Brettski's SMB and I was thinking about another idea of a northern pond. Let's say it is 7-10 acres or so. It has a lot of added rock, gravel, and other added structure and is 25-30 feet in depth at most. I was thinking maybe of also focusing on SMB. It makes sense to me, it would be miles before I could find a quality SMB pond, although there is a few close SMB/LMB ponds nearby me. Which has since finding this site made me confused on how that combination works. Yet, at the same time I want to have a variety of fish. I was thinking of taking the YP/SMB idea, adding crayfish, golden shiners, fatheads and walleye for controlling the YP. Hopefully, the GSH and less likely the FHM will continue to reproduce without the presence of LMB. They might also feed upon YP and other eggs, as I hear they regularly eat them. Finally, although I hear very mixed reviews on BG, I was thinking pumpkinseeds, they don't reproduce as much, aren't as large and provide additional forage. So what do you guys think? I will probably have to stock supplemental Walleye eventually, as very little successful spawning will probably happen. Which is fine, any other imbalances I'll work out with a few fishing poles. Are there any other fish that might work well here? Perhaps a grow and take system with CC and trout. I personally love our native New England brook trout, they're beautiful.
