Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Been awhile since I posted...quick question.

Most authorities recommend not stocking HBG with BG. There are some good reasons for this.

1. Negation of the Hybrid advantage: Since the BG reproduce profusely, you still need an effective predator (like your planned LMB) to control their numbers. Even so, the HBG are soon hopelessly outnumbered. The growth advantages that HBG often show in HBG-only ponds (IMHO chiefly due to limited numbers of fish eating the same food supply) is negated as they have to compete with all the BG.

2. Worries about GSF genes: The HBG can backcross with the BG and leave GSF genes in the population. Some worry more about this than others. If pure-blood BG are desired for any reason, (maximum fecundity for forage base, worry about out generations resembling GSF more than BG, economic reasons, or shear snobbery) it's definitely a concern.

3. Degradation of the forage bass for LMB: HBG by themselves cannot provide adequate forage for raising large LMB. Adding them to BG in a bass-emphasis pond cannot help the forage base, and may hinder it (see 2. above).

From my personal experience, if you mix BG and HBG in a pond with LMB, you very shortly will only find BG in the pond. I stocked 50/50 BG/HBG and have not seen so much as a trace of HBG since the second year. IME, there was no disadvantage to stocking HBG with BG, but no advantage either.

I will add that if you stock both, I do not expect a noticeable impact on the forage base if you go as high as 50/50. At some higher percentage of HBG, an extra year or two might be required for the outnumbered BG to build the same size forage base for the bass to eat.

EDIT: I read your second post; that negates much/all of reasons 2 & 3. I agree with Shorty, though - why bother?