HSBs have their ups and downs and IMO the ups far outnumber the downs. They are my favorite pond fish for several reasons:
1) they seem to bite throughout the year, especially well in the TX winter when I like to fish
2) they fight hard and fast
3) they grow predictably and consistently (with sufficient food and space) to a catchable size within a relatively short period of time
4) they don't reproduce in ponds so population control is easy
5) they are my favorite fish on the grill
6) they take pellets, allowing you the option to supplement with fish food
7) they have small mouths relative to body size, so potential impacts on mid to large sized forage fish are minimized
