Science facts:

Largemouth have to weigh "X" amount per inches of length before they grow any more in length. Bass stunt because there is not enough food for them at that length. Either not enough food of the correct size (1/4 to 1/3 their body length depending on the shape of the forage fish) and they expend more calories catching it to eat, or not enough food period.

It takes approximately 10# of fish to put 1# of weight on one LMB.

No matter what size BOW.

In the average BOW, with good RW on the LMB, depending on the fishery goals for that BOW, approximately 20# of LMB per surface acre should be removed every year, of all year class fish combined. In stunted BOW's, double or triple that, depending on the RW of the fish, and if there is a certain age class or multiple age class of stunted fish.

To thin out fish populations, electro shocking, fish tournaments (highest total fish weight of fish under 14" in length), etc., etc., all will help.

For instance, I have feed trained fish in my pond. They are tagged. Fishing rule is all LMB not tagged are to be removed, no matter if they are 2" or 20".

Look at carrying capacity (in the archives). You cannot dump enough forage fish into the pond without removing predators or your biomass will most likely become too great and you will have water quality issues, which in turn might very well result in fish kills.


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3/4 to 1 1/4 ac pond LMB, SMB, PS, BG, RES, CC, YP, Bardello BG, (RBT & Blue Tilapia - seasonal).