IL - I saw a recent study that put male HBG and male BG in ideal growing conditions. The BG out did the HBG. I assume by ideal conditions they ment uncrowded conditions, ideal water temperatures, and lots of food. My thoughts are that you can get good growth rates on BG by being predator heavy and keeping the BG numbers in check. Lot's of small and very hungry LMB is the key to growing big sunfish.

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1749-7345.2006.00063.x