Previous information by esshup is essentially correct. GSH limitations IMO - GSH survivability in with HSB is strongly dependent on how many HSB are present, how big HSB are, and how much cover is available for GSH. HSB & YP can be abundant enough they keep all the young GSH consumed and when old adults die you loose GSH broodstock.
HSB essentially will not reproduce in your pond. If they do, make sure you report it here. To keep some smaller HSB in the community which is important for predator balance, some of the adult HSB can be harvested and an appropriate number of young ones be restocked.
The YP and GSH can be the primary forage fish for HSB providing you don't have too many HSB in that they devour all the young forage species. You should always have good abundant numbers of young forage species moving into the community each year.
Feeding pellets. Start with good pellet raised stock of YP and pellets can help take predation pressure off young GSH and YP. Numerous of the recruiting YP often learn to eat pellets. If this does not happen,, target harvest younger YP and periodically add 6"-8" pellet trained YP to maintain good pellet eating brood stock. Too many young forage species? - decrease or slow pellet feeding for a month or two to allow predators to reduce forage numbers esp small YP.
HBG (hybrid BG) start back-crossing and intermixing among all the cohorts that eventually, a large percentage of the population is male and female and hybrid vigor gradually declines. The dominant green sunfish behavior and gene pool becomes a stronger and stronger influence on the offspring 10+years later.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 01/21/20 09:54 AM.
