hey everybody, thanks for your responses.
Dwight, if i understand your point correctly, having larger pike will not, necessarily, have an effect on the LMB or BG population, as they will selectively choose to not attack something that large (unless pressed to), but smaller "slasher" pike might attack them no matter what.
As far as I understood it (thanks to Dr Willis), 28 inches + will target fish the size of a stunted LMB, however, they may be unlikely to attack the BG, since they lack the fusiform shape and have the spiny ray as a defense.
Putting all of this information together, it seems like for the toothy buggers to have the biggest impact on the 2 populations I would like to lower (skinny LMB and subjectively large BG), I really need to strive for a balance of fish large enough to consider a skinny .75lb LMB a meal and "slasher" pike that are willing to chomp anything that moves.
So should I have a slot, then? Say, if it exists between 26-30 keep it, but the rest toss them out?
This pond does have weeds. They are often removed from beaches and swimming areas, and treated each year to knock them back, but in the deeper parts of the lake and around many shorelines they grow ridiculously thick. If I have adoption of YoY Pike, i will want to remove every small one i find.
Thanks again, everyone,
-Skinny
