Discussion transferred from Sustainable Forage - Fatheads?

 Quote:
Originally posted by Bob Lusk:
ML,
I appreciate your comments and your results. Here's my thinking, or the "rest of the story." At some point, your bass relative weights will begin to decline. They have to. At that point, how will you support the bass population? There's not a practical way, other than full time, surviving forage fish which can consistently reproduce. Tilapia add forage fish and prop up a bass population while helping bluegill survival rates. But, without harvesting selected size classes of bass, you can only prop up a fish population for so long, then it declines. With tilapia, that bass population will reach a point, then decline much more rapidly than with bluegill. When that finally happens, harvest of bass will be mandatory, and replacing a missing forage fish population will be tough. That's all I'm saying.
Changing direction, I will post some observations I have made this year in my own ponds with tilapia. It's been interesting. I have used tilapia to prop up a bass population, I have raised them to sell before. But, this year, I did something totally different, and it has been interesting. I'll post it on the blog in a few minutes.
I am a fan of tilapia....
 Quote:
Originally posted by Meadowlark:
 Quote:
Originally posted by Bob Lusk:
ML,
Here's my thinking, or the "rest of the story." At some point, your bass relative weights will begin to decline. They have to. At that point, how will you support the bass population?
Bob,

I'd sure like to discuss this further, but maybe it is off topic for this thread.


Here is my answer. Tilapia, for me, have substantially, substantially, increased my BG population in every pond they are stocked in with predators. This spike in the population of BG provides a carry over winter forage of small BG for the LMB. I do not see any evidence of relative weight declines after 4 years, only increasing relative weights and increasing numbers of small BG which become winter forage. Perhaps I will see decreases in the future, perhaps not. Right now, in all my ponds(except the TGG pond) I have an abundance of very small BG. Recently spawned BG. I see no evidence of a prop-up at all. I go into this winter with substantial numbers of very small BG for forage. Forage, I would not otherwise have without Tilapia, IMO.

When would you expect to see the relative weights begin to decline? As I mentioned, I'm only into 4 years with Tilapia.

Another observation I have that I have not seen written about by anyone is the cumulative effect of Tilapia. This cumulative effect manifests itself in two ways: 1) sustained increases in BG population and 2) less evidence of algae in early season.

Because of this cumulative effect, which I believe is real, I have reduced stocking rates in one pond this year to 2 to 3 pounds per acre. I have also completely eliminated the need for early season algae control chemicals.

My logic is that the BG have reached a virtual upper limit in numbers and algae can be controlled now with much less numbers of Tilapia (a cumulative effect of a clean pond bottom).

Thus far, this is working out perfectly...no algae and lots of BG. By reducing the stocking rate, if this cumulative effect holds, I can easily overwinter a sufficient number of Tilapia each year, making this a sustaining fishery. Two to three pounds per acre is much easier than 20 or 50 pound per acre! That's what I'm after...a completely self-sustaining program that requires zero chemicals.

Imagine, complete algae control, superior forage through BG and Tilapia, all at virtually no cost. Time will tell if this works or not. Maybe it will be a total failure. Maybe I'll see LMB starving to death....or maybe I'll find a way to achieve what I'm after.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.


"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever."
-S. M. Stirling
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