A 6 ounce female will produce 300-500 viable proginy every 5-8 weeks- a 1 pounder probably well over 1000 each spawn.
Keep 2 spawns from around October- December and you can have fish one 12" come May with 82-85 degree water and lots of feeding opportunities. For optimal growth, feed fry powder to about 1.5 inches constantly, 1.5-3" fingerling starter 10-15 times per day all they will eat at each feeding, 3-5" switch to fingerling grower(Like they haven't growng the previous 4 weeks!)to about 7", Then start with 3/16-1/4 floating pellets and increase to 5/16 pellets at around 12". All the feed I use now is Aquamax. The powder, strater and grower are all sinking carnivorous feeds and all the floating feeds are for omnivores. In a pond they pretty much eat plants unless a tasty GSF swims bth to become a toothpick.
