Just conducted my first fishing inventory on my one acre lake complete in August 2010. Bluegill, redear and minnows stocked in September 2010 and LMB stocked in April 2011. Fished about an hour with an ultralight outfit this afternoon and caught both bass and bluegill. I was pretty amazed at the the bluegill. Caught 8 fish...6 were right at 7 "....one at 6"...and one big thug just over 8". Real pleased. Caught four bass, a 10", two 11" and one 12"... well proportioned head/body size. Pleased with the growth of the bass, they've got plenty to eat. Blue gill spawn has been good both years and still see a lot of minnow spawn from the 7lbs of minnows stocked in Sep 2010. We had a real mild winter in Missouri and a very early spring, so I should have a good growing season for the bass this summer. We'll be having a bluegill fry in the fall for sure.

One other note: I have had an aeration system in the pond from day one. Really think that has had a positive effect on fish growth and overall pond health. Also, I feed the bluegill one red solo cup full of Sportsman's Choice Trophy Fish Feed (36% protein) morning and night, spread out by hand over a 20 or 30 yard strip along the shore. It costs 12 bucks for a 25lb a bag and they love it. Like I said, I was surprised at how big the bluegill were so the feed must be the difference.