Good thoughts guys...I've seen many struggle with RES pellet training and lost majority of fish. Not sure being absentee I can really spend the time/effort necessary to get them from bloodworms to pellets successfully. So, my RES are on their own, unfortunately - unless I got brazen enough to try stocking some kind of mussel/clam/other bivalve species or additional snail species....Bill what's your take on either of these routes? Trapdoor Snail?

Nate I'm committed to continuing growing out YP and stocking in the Fall. I need to figure out the cannibalism going on by more frequently netting the fish and examining their condition however, and release all the runts/skinny fish to give them a better chance in the main pond. Hopefully results will improve this year over last year.

On the WE - we're seeing 5-6" at 11-14" now in 15 mos. Not sure if that growth is acceptable or not...they are skinny fish for sure, although not pinch bellied, and I know forage availability is probably low for their current gape.

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau

[Linked Image from i1261.photobucket.com]