Cecil - I would be very interested to see what effect the sticklebacks had on your offspring numbers. I have heard and read so many conflicting things about stickleback minnows.
We have done numerous beer sponsored studies with different types of bait fish native to our ponds. The goal was to see what species of bait fish were preferred. All "studies" have been conducted from May-Aug with a minimum of 6 cold beers per guy.
Using the same location, same time, and same rigs, we tested: Fatheads, Bluegills, Mud Minnows, and Sticklebacks side by side. Here is how they rated, listed by most preferred in my ponds by BCP;
1) Sticklebacks
2) Bluegills
3) Mud Minnows and Fathead minnows pretty even
