"Actually Bill, I have had several ponds over the last four years that were all age-1 fish, and consequently I can drain a pond, then stock another, so that I'm watching these same fish over an entire growing season again. My best fish get easily 5-6 ounces during a calender year, but by the same token, I'll have other fish that get 1-2 ounces, and these fish are sent to other ponds to live out their lives in mediocrity just kidding--many of these fish end up as good quality one pounders with ample forage and artificial feeding. I think one of the keys is the ability to provide high quality natural forage during the winter months, so that a fish that gets 3 ounces during the optimal 4 months can squeek out another 2 ounces during the other eight months.
One of my best managed ponds was tested by biologists who officially weighed and aged the bluegill. The fish that were hovering around 1 pound were all 4-6 years old. I also know that the famed Pelican Lake (NE) bluegill sometimes reach 1.5 pounds in as little as 6-7 years. It takes special conditions, but it can be done.
Since the best age-1 fish go into their second growing season around 1-2 ounces, I think an ideal trophy Nebraska bluegill situation might go something like this.
