I've got HSB, SMB, and YP for my predators. Right now, I would say, after stocking HBG two years ago, that they don't seem to be able to keep the HBG population under control. (I stocked very few HBG compared to other species) I catch HBG at a rate of two to one when fishing, comparing it to all other species combined.
I'm just wondering if I'll eventually end up with so many HBG that the only choice I'll have is to start LMB stocking. (Probably to the detriment of all my other fish.)
I had thought that HBG would produce 90% male offspring, so overpopulation wouldn't be a issue. Of course, I also heard they didn't bite swimmers..
Not quite, the original HBG stockers, (the first offspring of the male BG and female GSF, otherwise known as F1's), are reputed to be primarily male, with many studies placing the male bias at 95%. In other words, the fish you initially purchased, which should be F1's, would display the severe male bias. Keep in mind however, that even taking that 95% figure to heart, that still leaves 5 females out of every hundred fish. And depending upon fry viability and survival, which in my opinion needs much greater study, those few females could lead to excessive numbers in the absence of adequate predation.
Also, the male bias carrying over to succeeding generations needs to be thoroughly explored and either proven or disproven, once and for all. Somewhere around here I have the results of one such study, or did have before we moved...not so sure now. I'll bet ewest can dig it up though.
My wag is that the severe male bias does not carry over, but that's just my gut feeling, nothing more.
