That’s the line of thinking I had as well John. Really do appreciate the well thought out rationale. The HSB stocking sounds extreme at first glance but then that’s when compared to ‘normal’ stocking rates that are sustainable. Quickly removing and eating a few would do the trick in a hurry.
As for the RES surviving the winters, I’ve not heard of any difficulties in this area, quite a bit warmer than the frozen tundra of the northern part of the state! Caught a few in local ponds last year actually. Plus, will be getting them from a local (less than 15 miles away) professional propagator in the hopes that they are more adapted to the local climate.
Of course all these thoughts and beliefs are prone to actual field verification! The best part of pond management is seeing how things play out on the ground.
