Bruce, this is just "crazy thinking" but the way you manage for the best males and females in your BG ponds, is it possible that each year your BG also have better/brighter color? Just a side effect of selecting the best of the best? Like I said just thinking, and color may be do more to water color/quality, more than selective harvest. your thoughts?
Not crazy thinking at all.
I've often thought that I may be selecting for certain traits subconsciously. I'll be selecting here in about eight weeks which fish go into "the program". I.E., YOY's that are speeding past the others in growth.
When sorting older fish I try to just look for most rapid growth, i.e. age-2 fish that are 9+ inches, but I think I'm also favoring the prettiest fish a little bit, when all other things are equal.
