From my limited experience with RES and SMB, I would stock fingerling RES (1"-3") with the FHM or in fall with fingerling SMB. RES fingerling stocked in spring would then produce a limited spawn the next summer as 4"-6" fish, and limited spawn due to the RES not big individuals. Plus RES are not prolific anyway even as big spawners. RERS stocked in fall would only produce offspring the next spring if the stockers were mature at 5"-7".
How many SMB per acre to stock? Well that is a good question. I think the lower densities of 30-60/ac will result in faster growing smallies and it will allow the forage fish to continue building a strong forage base until the 1st SMB stockers produce their offspring that grows to 6"-8". I have seen SMB fingerlings stocked in fall as 3"-4" fingerlings grow to 8" to 10" long after one full year in a small pond with optimum conditions, i.e. lots of food including crayfish. The first juvenile set of SMB offspring will likely "hammer" the FHM really hard and then focus on crayfish and GSH as the juveniles grow to 10"-12".
If you stock SMB fingerlings at the higher density of 70-100/ac the whole process of reduced forage noted above happens faster and results in slower overall growth and smaller top end size of the first stocking of SMB. In other words the original SMB will not get to be as big, but overall they will usually be more numerous. Growing bigger predators is all about keeping forage abundant, having it to be various sizes of small to larger suitable items, and managing the predator numbers, usually selective harvest, so they do not over eat the food source.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 01/12/13 12:58 PM.
