Bill Cody has asked for an update on my WE/ YP pond experiment. I am sorry for not provinding an update on my experiment. I sometimes forget that my failures can provide some potental valuabe information to others.
First of all, I believe my goal was achieveable. And I would have loved to let this experiment run out 5 years to see what type of growth rates could have been achieved. It was going fine with the exception of the one winter kill(Aeration inadequacy). I just couldn't let the experiment run long enough to gain any good data. I was so restrictive on the fishing that I felt the trade off was too much. So I simply quit and went in another direction.
The one bit of knowledge I did gain that may help others when deciding to stcok WE. First, WE get hook smart very fast, especially if lots of forage present. Second and most importantly, kids and WE don't go together if you want a catch and release program
. Can you say deep hooked! With 40 stocked and 2 killed in one evening, 5% reduction in population.
To date, I still have YP but didn't see a WE in the 2011 season and didn't stock any more. As mentioned in another post I have completely switched gears and stocked BCP with the YP. I'm trying to build and maintain a BCP fishery with sustained 10"-12", 1/2 to 1lb BCP.
