Yep, the haters have an aversion to busted tackle. These guys certainly don't get hook shy.
I once drank the "Hate the GSF Koolaid". Then I started catching some bigger ones. When I caught a "big" one I was disappointed by the size and would toss them on the bank. Then I asked myself why I was fishing if I didn't enjoy the fight. That's when I stopped trying to eliminate them.
Mine must have come from the hatchery when I initially stocked.
The fight is/was different than a BG. They try to take your fishing pole away from you.
The growing seasons are longer here and more of their offspring get eaten. In the absence of bass, they, like other crosses, would certainly over populate. I can see where that makes a difference up North. But, in a balanced pond in a warmer weather environment, I have never seen them dominate a pond like the guys up North do. With bass, they tend to pretty well die out over time. They just cannot compete with BG and bass reproduction numbers.
Since there are no large predators in my forage pond, they seem to make up about 50% of the population. That will certainly increase over time even though they only spawn annually and BG have a rolling spawn.
I do not hesitate to transfer them from my forage to my bigger pond. To me, they are just more bass food. If a couple escape predation, I will appreciate the fight.
If you tied a 7" GSF tail-to-tail with a 9" BG, the BG would be drowned in a short time.
