I think a big factor with GSH is not giving your original stockers too big a start over the predators, especially if you aren't going to be stocking LMB. If you stock say 400 GSH with no predators present, there's a good chance 75%+ will survive as there will be little mortality. This means you'll have a pond with 300+ GSH in the 7"+ range. All being aggressive bait stealers.
To prevent this, stock the GSH about the same time you stock fingerling predators if you are going to put more than a couple hundred GSH in. Or, stock smaller amounts and let them spawn once before stocking predators. If you have good spawning habitat, just a pound of GSH will establish nicely...
The use of minnows as opposed to worms for bait will help reduce bait stealing by large GSH.
Keep in mind though that GSH have a maximum life span of about 5-6 years. So, when those original stockers which are your current bait stealers die when your pond is 5-6 years old, the issue should be greatly reduced. This is because far fewer GSH we recruit to those larger size classes under predation that wasn't originally present for your originally stocked GSH. In many ponds, particularly those with LMB, no GSH recruit and you end up not having any GSH present in your pond after 5-6 years.
