I started last Sunday with a short trip to the pond with a pole that turned into an 8 hour pond day...
I have, now, removed about 60 HBG or HBG/RES crosses that were too big for my HSB to eat. It's amazing how many of the 3 to 5" fish look different from the bulk of the culled fish. I do not think that I have removed any pure RES, however. The panfish were stocked in a CC pond that has stunted and gets no attention, maybe snacks for the CC, but hopefully some will produce some forage.
I have also culled 50 crawdads in the 4 to 5" range (nose to tail tip). These were taken to a neighbor's pond who allows me to fish there with the hopes of seeding the pond. He does not have much rock for them, so they may have become snacks for his LMB. Either way, it was better than putting them in the mostly dry creek for the raccoons.
I also added one LMB (1.3 pounds)to my pond along with one crappie (0.3 pounds), for kicks, and the LMB should grow stupid fast on the overabundance of larger craws that my HSB seem to be ignoring to date.
