Its funny you mention that cause I have been recently been considering the concept of HSB only. I've a small property where I think I will be limited by watershed and space to about .18 acre max. What to do with such a small BOW in the city? Been giving some thought to a HSB in combination with PK shrimp, Gambusia, Red Shiner, and Tilapia. So it begins growing Keo fingerlings at 600/Acre to 5" to be released in the fall. These fish are harvested at 500/acre between 8" to 10" the following spring. Given they spawn in the 50s, I figure one could also supplement feed earlier than other species perhaps as early as March here in Texas. The spring harvest would focused around the later half of April and through May. The tilapia would be stocked at 4" at the rate of 500/acre. The 100 remaining HSB will work crowd control on tilapia recruitment and feed on the plentiful small forage. The goal is 8 in tilapia by Fall. The idea I'm playing with is to have a Fall harvest of tilapia(.3 LBS) and HSB (averaging 1.25 LBS ... the remaining HSB). By Fall, most of the tilapia and large HSB are harvested and the newly raise 5" fish have the pond to themselves again in a lather-rinse-repeat cycle.
A tiny BOW under this scheme can have a high proportion of catchable harvestable fish and produce a remarkable annual harvest and fishing recreation. Such a small BOW could also produce a couple of trophy female LMB after a few years but that kind of BOW just seems too little juice for all the squeeze to me. I would greatly prefer to catch and eat a bunch of scrappy HSB I think.
Last edited by jpsdad; 10/14/1904:50 PM.
It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so - Will Rogers
