... If I need MORE 4" BG then I could see where feeding my bg may cause them to outgrow the size I need to feed my lmb.
Tracy,
To be clear, I am not recommending that you deviate from your plan. This goes for everyone following a plan recommended by professionals or of their own making.
If, however, anyone finds themselves down the road, or presently, in a situation where the plan isn't providing growth and fish are stalling prior to the ultimate weight goal. Also where one has been diligent to cull bass and the only resolution is additional inputs ...
then I think what has one to lose?
The idea of harvesting > 6" BG is that their harvest results in a freeing of carrying capacity. Also these BG consume many of their own young below 3/4" in length. In a hatchery setting, it takes only a few breeding pairs to completely fill the carrying capacity with 2" BG in a couple of months. In the south a minimum of 3 crops of these can be produced. The point I am making is that the idea is to have a smaller biomass of breeders and a large biomass of YOY. BG can easily attain 4" in the first year where the biomass is below carrying capacity. LMB provide the cropping to keep the BOW below BG carrying capacity which stimulates additional breeding and crops of YOY BG.
Chunting's old clubs used this strategy along with LMB culling to grow > 10lb bass. So if all else is failing, it is very much worth giving it a try.
