[quote=Todd3138]Holy cow, those are some nice fish! I assume you're pulling them out so they don't reproduce with their funky offspring? Do you restock on a periodic basis?
Yeah, I remove the females as I happen to catch them, although I am curious as to the viability of future generations. Although I can't be sure, I have a feeling that the numbers of females might increase with each succeeding year class of fish.
No proof, just a suspicion. Perhaps I will explore this area in the future.
You are correct in that I re-stock fish to try and maintain different classes, (sizes), moving through my water. I feel that to reap all the benefits of this fish, you must treat them as you would livestock. Feeder calves, to be exact.
Cattle farming operations in these parts do this all the time. You buy young calves in the spring, with no intention of adding them permanently to your existing herd. You feed them out, then when they reach the appropriate size you send them to market. Then start again the next spring. It takes a little longer with HBG than it does with Angus and Hereford cattle, but the idea is the same.
If fish were flowers, native BG would be perennials and HBG would be annuals. As I stated, however, I am very curious as to what the future could hold under the right conditions.....
