Feel free to correct me, but my experience shows NP are less tolerant of warm and turbid waters and require ample aquatic vegetation to reproduce succesfully. In Eastern NE NP have been stocked into warmer, clay bottomed reservoirs that have sparce aquatic veg and they have repeatedly failed to gain a foothold. In W NE - especially the Sandhills lakes that are spring fed, shallow and have ample aquatic vegetation - the NP thrive.

Even with that in mind, I have no idea how hospitible NP would find Ohio BOWS - but if someone was looking for a true ultra apex predator to help control LMB and BG YOY wouldn't sterile Tigers make sense? Tigers and Muskie actually do WELL in Eastern NE in the clay reservoirs, tolerant of warmer and more turbid waters, obviously.

I don't know how an apex predator beyond LMB would affect this pond in question, FAR beyond my experience - and I don't recall many posts discussing the merits or disadvantages of stocking NP, TM, or Muskie. I can say I find this topic fascinating and would love to learn more, however.

I do know for my own situation in my main 4 ac pond, where I have BG reproducing and only SMB and HSB to control their populations, Mr Lusk suggested I add 10 TM's to help control the BG and add more if it seems necessary. This is not about my ponds, but thought this advice from Bob was important to consider for BASF.


Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau

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