I used to have these conversations with my father that has since passed and decided what better place to have it than here. I know this is going to be a little more different because my Dad was used to how I think and understood me better on my different ways. BTW the biggest reason I am putting in LMB (instead of another predator) is the handicapped event had a lot of request about LMB. This year I figure I can add C&R LMB for the event and I can replace the mortalities.

Bringing LMB to the party on the 3ac BCP pond. I added 5 of the 1# LMB cruisers YOY this weekend. Cruisers is what I call the LMB that I catch out away from structure in open waters. Also to me this allows me to get more aggressive fish by catching them on tackle.

1. My thinking is that with a lot of CC (CC are reproducing) & the BCP this will make the reproduction survival rate of LMB be pretty Low to near non existent. (opinions please)

2. Given I have a very high Biomass stocking with only deep water cover / structure the 1# YOY can start converting that into some fat belly LMB. I left a lot of last summers BG & CNBG so I am very plentiful with about 3" snacking forage. Also these LMB come from a pond that is very LMB heavy so that they self predate giving me the strongest that survived. This combined with my thinking on opinion 1 makes me believe I need more LMB per AC. That said the next opinion I would like is how many do you think I should go with per ACRE on stocking? (opinion Please)

3.I can set traps in the fall and see if I have in LMB reproduction. This will help me know if I need to start LMB removal ASAP or not. If my thinking on opinion 1 is correct and I show hardly no reproduced LMB. I can then adjust overall LMB based on forage evaluation. That said how many LMB from this years stocking should I remove and replace with #1 YOY LMB cruisers next year? (opinions please) (PS I can incorporate some big fat LMB removal at future disadvantaged events.)

4. OR Should I just go all in NOW and slap in LMB from Trophy size down now staggering the size. (opinion please) (debating this as it allows me to have instant gratification at event in a couple of months.)

5. If go with #4 how many total LMB and how many of each size? (opinions please)
( Ex. something like 24- 1# to 2#, 15- 3# to 5#, 9- 6#+, 3 trophy)

Help me think this out and please do not get mad if I do not follow your suggestion. Just like with my Dad I will go the way I feel regardless of what we may know will work for everyone else. Also like I used to say to pops "if we get it wrong I can just simply pull the plug when ever I get ready".

Basically right now this pond is working for BCP. However I have a BG BIOMASS surplus and want to balance it out more naturally than me physically removing. I really am not looking into turning the BCP pond into a LMB pond. My original goal with BCP pond is to have a high volume catch pond with (Crappie). I wanted to see if I could work my way thru this adventure and make a small impoundment crappie pond work. 2016 is year 4 on this out of the box experiment and the only problem I see so far is a over abundance of BG.

Feel free to through out what ever opinions you like as my dad did. Like with him I have many families impacted off of decisions I make daily. Simply just saying I may not be quick to respond at times. Like wise it took me 3 days just to get to make this post from the time I decided to do so.

Thanks
Tums



Last edited by Tums; 02/24/16 11:38 AM.