I really enjoyed having these fish in my pond this spring. They have an incredible growth rate and are a ferocius fighter..only one problem..they are , by far, the most hook-shy species in the pond.At 1-4 lbls., they were quite aggressive, but nothing works now, not even live bait or a pellet fly. I managed to cath one to overwinter with my tilapia. The other 4, I'm giving up on. They even manage to avoid my cast-net!
My SMB, on the other hand, are really thriving in my relatively shallow (8' max) pond in the north texas summers. I think the well water and aeration were the key for them. They have recently taken to pellet food, and many are approaching 10" or so in size.
