Ok, here we go. Some of this post is facts, but most is my opinion , guesses or second hand information.
Background, build a 3.5 acre pond on family land in Putnam Co Ga about 10 years ago. I had heard of GG and Ken through friends and family members who had stocked GG. Everything I was told was good. Caught a 2+ pound GG in a friends pond and I was sold. Started calling Ken for advice. Did he push GG? Yep. Then I found Pond Boss"s old message board and posted about GG and heard nothing but bad things. Decided to play it safe and stock bluegill/RES combo. Called the order in to Ken (he sell GG and other bream at the same price) and in 15 minutes he had me talked back into GG. Called himself the most hated man in the fish business, that eveyone lied about him and his fish. Stocked 2500 GG. GG were delivered by truck. Went to the hatchery three time to pick fish up. CC,LMB and HS. Each time picked them up Saturday morning which is their most busy times so usually had a couple hour wait. I guess because Ken and I had talked so much I sat with him waiting. A interesting man, a natural saleman. Someone who did not do their research could end up with a pond overloaded with fish. Also a very sick man even back then
The good about GG. Fast growth rate, mine were a pound, in one year, one and one half pounds in year two. Very aggressive, easy to catch, maybe to easy. Pond did not fill up with green sunfish. Never saw what I though were F-2's Also I added CNB later.
The bad about GG. Same as the good they are aggressive, they will drive you crazy when you fish for LMB. Any lure you fish with, because of their large mouth, they will hit. Goal large LMB, this is not your fish
Here we get into second hand information. I was told by an employee of Ken's I knew fairly well that only Ken and his son Jason knew the secret lineage of GG but it was 5 different fish. Personally I don't believe that is true. Some people think it is the standard cross and everything else is just marketing hype. Pure guess on my part but I think it is the standard cross with a little RES mixed in plus Ken doing a good job with his brood stock.
Ken thought you should stock 5000 GG per acre airate and feed grow monster GG's and in 5 years pull the plug and start over. No question there was a lot of hype to Ken. Hogzilla ring a bell. This was not my or my wallet's goal and he sold me what I wanted.
Two long time Pond Boss posters had bad experiences dealing with Ken the last few years before he passed away, Don't know why and will not speculate other than I do not question the posters stories.
I assume Jason is now running Ken's but a web site is a shell to what it used to be so I don't know how viable the business is. We use to have a new poster every few month ask about Ken, that does not happen much now.
Sold my farm about 5 years ago so can not give an update on the GG.
If I was starting over would I stock GG, probably not, but if I did it would be low numbers stocked along with CNB and RES.
This pretty well goes along with my expirence with GG also. MY F1 GG provided what I expected which was some 3# class of fish with alot also between 2 to 3#. I (like you) sat and talked with Ken on Saturdays while picking up fish. Seemed like a real nice person that was a salemen for his business. I can say what I was sold I was not lied to about. I never really heard any complaints about Kens until later in his life (after y2k), I often wonder if his health had anything to with it and he could not keep up with the daily grind. The problem I had with my order the 3#'s came from was my fault and Ken worked with me on it. My fault is how I wound up with 5000 fish per acre. I would not be suprised if my results caused Ken into doing a 5000 per acre trial somehwere else. I often tell people that ask that my opinion is the GG is for short term large fish and not long term stability. I do not try and sell them to people, but I also do not tell people to stay away.
I am not like some People and have a BIASED opinion. I know plenty of people in my area that are satisfied with the product. So I simply just lay out the ups and downs and let the pond owner make the decision.
