Wow...this seems like it was so long ago... (For those who read this entire thread, I did get to meet Dr. Condello and shake his hand...still haven't got that autograph though)
I touched on this during the GTG at Esshup's place this summer, but I'll share it again here in the hope that someone mught benefit from it.
When Cecil initially posted this thread, I was a little over one month into my HBG journey. I had been a dedicated BG angler for many years, but had never caught one over 1 lb. I finally decided that my best chance to do so involved growing my own fish. I began researching the various types and strains of BG, but I was attracted to the HBG due to it's severe male bias....I had seen far too many BG ponds overrun with stunted fish, and wanted to avoid that scenario.
When I started the HBG project I set myself a goal that would hopefully define its success, or lack thereof as the case might be: An outing on the water that would produce 25 fish, with 15 of those weighing between 1 and 1.25 lbs., and the remaining 10 weighing no less than 14 ozs.
I achieved that 28 months after the intial stocking of 500 3-4" HBG, and I was blown away. The fish grew so quickly, and were so violent on the end of my line, that I was pretty sure I would always have at least one pond dedicated to growing them.
Since then I have supplementally stocked fish every year, (the ladder stocking technique commonly advocated for HSB), and my largest HBG to date went 1 lb 10ozs. But I have seen two this year, from ponds other than my own, that went 2 lbs. What will they top out at? I don't know, but as time progresses I am discovering that getting them to achieve that size may take more than time and a high protein diet. Many of my largest fish have succumbed over the last two summers, which I feel is due to a combination of factors, including an advancing age, the effects of a high protein diet, stress caused by spawning and high water temps, and susceptability to stresses endured during catch and release.
Am I happy with HBG? Yes. Would I stock them again? Yes. If you're after ultimate growth potential in a BG, then a native "pure"? strain is probably your best bet. If you need forage for another species, or desire a more balanced scenario, then I think natives win again.
But, if you understand the HBG and realize the ups and downs involved with having them in your pond, AND you would like to have numbers of BG over a pound in a short time, with a greatly reduced chance of overpopulation, and very little management effort on your part, then HBG might be worth a closer look.
