Tracy, I'm sure no expert, but given your determination to grow REALLY BIG LMB, you might consider the following forage fish:
Gizzard Shad. Only when your bass are big enough to keep them in check, but could be worth the risk.
Golden Shiners. Less risky, and they help keep bass numbers down by eating their eggs.
Rainbow Trout. Much easier for a bass to eat than a BG or a Crappie due to their slender shape. Note that those California 18 plus pound bass got that way primarily in lakes with stocked trout.
If I were in your boots (not shoes), I'd look hard at the trout first. Lowest risk, and you would stock them right about the time the TLP play out. The trout would get sluggish when it warms in spring and either die naturally or get eaten. Size of the trout could be optimized to be ideal for the size of your bass, too.
The downside to trout is that you must keep buying them every year, like Tilapia.
Just my thoughts. Once your CMBLMB hit 10 lbs, your gonna need some pretty darn big forage! Come to think of it, there's a yappy little dog my neighbor owns that could use some swimming lessons...
Last edited by anthropic; 01/03/16 02:54 AM.
