I agree with CJB, there is no clear cut answer. It takes active management to reach your goals. Harvesting plays an import part. Walt mention a pond owner who had been using automatic feeders for 4 years and the bluegill were still stunted. The landowner asked people to remove all LMB they caught under 2 lbs. Why would you harvest the bass and not the bluegill? Seems to me someone needed to remove a few hundred bluegill or more. You can't grow trophys without harvesting. You can't have a balanced pond without harvesting for that matter. Harvesting is the best tool we have in managing an established pond. All the examples Walt mentioned didn't include harvesting bluegill. If the bass aren't "making a dent in the bluegill population" I would suggest the pond owner making a dent or even a great big hole if necessary. Isn't fishing the reason most of us got into this in the first place? Go out and catch em. Take an active role in management. I'm sure that stocking predators and forage at the same time or building the forage first and stocking the predators later will both work if MANAGED properly. I'm sure that the are many in this forum who will swear by both methods. Pond Meistering is a full contact sport. You've got to go out and get your hands dirty. Don't sit around and wait for the bass to do your job. Don't let your BG get out of hand. Be active.
