FH - great work. I am interested in hearing what you find out about your SMB predation on YOY YP and BG. We SMB owners want so much to believe SMB can control BG...in my pond it hasn't happened, even with 9-13" YP and almost 150 12-21" HSB. I hope your pond is a different story - as it is I'm faced with constant BG management through trapping and seining.
TJ,
I've had smallies before, and actually had them nailing the bluegills while the lazy lmbs lanquished on the pellets. However, as far as keeping up with the bluegills I think it's possible if the density of smallies is very high and there are no places for the bluegills to hide. Of course the pond is mostly male bluegills and the smallies were planted before the bluegill hatched.
As I said I hope to keep weed growth to a minimum next year with the Whitecap. Right now a bait just about anywhere in the pond will be nailed by a smallie vs. the yellow perch or bluegills. Deep or shallow water.
Interestingly I have seen the smallies cruising the shoreline with larger bluegills mixed in. I caught a bluegill the other day that jumped out of the water like a smallmouth. Maybe they think they are smallmouth?
