It all depends... Ponds require hands on management. There rarely is a pond that just self sustains itself as a quality fishery. This is why it is so important to keep records, of the fish you catch, species, length, weight, numbers, where, when, how... It is all invaluable information. Seine surveys, trap nets, electrofishing can all be invaluable tools as well. You can then take the information you have gathered and tweak your management methods accordingly. IMHO and experience, in smaller ponds say under 3 acres, the use of pike or musky may cause more trouble than they are worth. Where as the use of trap nets and fishing to remove the needed fish sizes may be more appropriate. HSB are not quite the same as are pike or musky and have a very different behavior. There are certainly times when pike or musky would work to help solve certain pond management problems. Personally, I am a bigger fan of chain pickerel as opposed to pike or musky. They only reach 24-28" in length. Meaning they will never become so large as to feed on quality panfish, like a 12" YP or 9" BG. I'd rather catch and eat them myself and not leave that up to a musky. But again, it all depends.
