Maybe the warmouth/BG hybrid might be large enough to replace the Largemouth Bass as the top predator, depending on what is considered forage in the pond.
IMHO Warmouth and particularly GSH have evolved with large gapes to fill an attrition niche. They possess the ability to be top predator in monoculture. Having the ability to consume their own kind at larger sizes help them to more greatly limit their own production relative to other panfish. This adaptation helps them occupy cramped quarters in shady small intermittent creeks or in low DO waters heavily shaded by cypress. Being self limiting may help them prevent DO depletion and starvation that would occur with BG under the same scenarios. They occupy a very specialized niche. My experience with GSF only cultures is that maximum size is limited to ~8" and that they are unable to withstand harvesting without stunting. With a WM/BG hybrid, the situation would be worse because of the smaller gape.
With panfish as a goal, a better plan might be LMB/BG with say 10 to 20 WM/acre/year which are stocked at sufficient size to avoid LMB predators. The WM will help the LMB control some of BG and provide an added fishing opportunity. In this setting you would grow many small bass, but no large ones. Any LMB > 10 " could be harvested with no ill effects and you could harvest the WM at the same size. BG will grow larger provided you further limit BG numbers and/or feed. For this scenario to work at its optimum you must either stock LMB at sufficient numbers initially, allow an LMB spawn before adding panfish, or establish LMB and WM before adding BG. When I "say optimum" what I mean is a scenario that is easily sustainable and maintained. If you stock LMB and BG at numbers appropriate for large LMB, you would be able to have good growth of the intial BG stockers but it would become increasingly difficult to manage for large BG because of insufficient LMB reproduction and BG overproduction. Even so, once the balance is tipped to large numbers of small LMB, the pond will sustain this trophy BG friendly balance largely on its own (why work to get it there when you can start out that way?). I think the introduction of WM or GSF helps a trophy panfish pond produce larger panfish. Its just a matter of what you want in your pond.
