My goals are not conflicted, but rather not possible... (Big fish of all species). My strategy for trophy SMB is to follow your advice and leave things be (low apex predator numbers relative to prey). If the SMB reproduce prolifically, then I will need to remove many of them by fishing, but may fail. Not ladder stocking should work for getting a few very big SMB, if I understand things. Since you indicate they can live up to 15 years, it is possible that the existing 20 SMB might produce some offspring even if it is not every year and in very small numbers (which sounds like it might be ideal for trophy SMB). With no electric nearby for winter aeration, a low DO event could change everything (hoping the snow covered ice melts soon). I should have a barn with electric close enough to the BG/LMB pond by spring, so I can get a system for keeping a hole in the ice open on that pond. I also need to see how the LMB are doing after the partial fish kill a few years back. The BG seem fat and growing well.
