Thank you guys so much. A buddy of mine brought over some YP today and I put some in each pond. Total of 29 YP. I put 19 in the big pond from 6" to 8.5". the other 10 in the small pond - 5@5", 1 at 6",2 @ 7", and 1 Nice one at 8"+.
Based on what everyone is saying the YP I put in will help control the BG (but won't be enough control and could be a problem in their own right) in the big pond but I need to add the SMB and HSB sooner rather than later. However I am concerned that the pond is not full yet and the water is 82.5 F. top to bottom. - about 55" deep. I am inclined to go with a spring delivery when the pond is full. I could go some larger SMB at that time if it matters. I am thinking that if the BG get out of hand I will try ewest's suggestion of adding some female LMB.
The small pond measured 81 F at the surface with steadily falling temps down to 62.2 at the bottom (9'). I threw some of the perch in there thinking they would have a better chance of survival. There are only 4 LMB in that pond at present. There are lots of 1.5"-2" BG - I assume these are YOY?
Another concern is that there is what might be considered a lot of cover for small fish. I assume this could aggravate the BG control situation. In the small pond the BG fry are hanging around the edge. There a lot of cattails and other plants. I saw one of the LMB today from a distance - he looks like has grown! 9-10" first of June - looks all of 12" now. See zero minnows in the small pond. If there is "too much cover" will that make it too easy for the BG and YP fry to survive?
Caught fish today to see what I could measure. To my surprise one of the BG in the new pond measured 9.5". He could not have been more than 6 or 6.5" when I transferred him. Now I know where all the FHM went. The rest I caught (all BG) were from 5 to 7". Other than the ones I transferred the delivered fish were 2-3" so I think they are growing fast. There has been a FHM spawn as I saw lots of them when releasing the perch.
Funny thing I was fishing when my buddy came with the perch. I could see lots of BG as they regularly cruise the dock area since I began feeding Japanese Beetles over the last week. So I could see them in numbers as I was fishing. Since the YP were released I have not seen one. No more bites, nothing. I guess they ran for cover. They had the pond to themselves but now they too must live in fear.
