May be so with hybrids but I typically don't have problems with fungal infections in my largemouth I put in cages as long as the water is warm enough for them to feed on pellets. If you plant during a cold spell and the water does not want to warm up and feeding is slow then you can have problems with fungal infections.
I have excellent success with my largemouth in cages, and in fact I have better sucess with them than any other species.
By the fall when they are 10 to 12 inches I release them with the rest of the larger bass.
I do set a diffuser between cages now in summer to circulate water through the cages. A good boil coming up between cages makes for healthier fish.
