There are a couple of generalizations that I have heard repeatedly during the relative short time I've been involved in this forum. I would like to state what I presume to be the general rules of thumb and then raise the question that the rules seem to be at odds in at least one way. Perhaps I am just misunderstanding the rules. I would like to know the experts thoughts. Or maybe "it just depends".
Rule of thumb #1. The initial stocking of BG (or could be other fish also but will use BG as an example) has an out-sized chance of producing the biggest and best the pond will ever have to offer. Later generations will struggle to perform as well as the initial stocking. Explanation: This makes sense to me that a new pond with lots of resources for a limited number of fish would offer these fish the chance to outperform. As spawning takes place there will be lots more fish in competition and it will be difficult to provide the environment that the original stocking fish had.
Rule of thumb #2. Leave the biggest and best BG in the pond. One reason is to provide the Best genetics for later generations. But another reason is the large dominant males and females will keep subsequent generations from gonad development early causing them to put their energy into growth (to compete with the larger fish for spawning sites) rather than their reproduction organs. If all the large BG are harvested it will lead to an overall smaller population of fish since the fish will put energy into reproduction early rather than growth.
Does anyone besides me see the conflict in the above two generalizations that I have heard numerous times on this forum? Let me elaborate. The initial BG we stock in early spring will likely spawn once or maybe more in that very first year. At three or four inches in length. So if these original stocking fish develop reproductive organs early and put energy into reproduction early, how is it they become the best fish ever for the pond?
Wouldn't it make sense to stock a small number of large adult BG along with the normal stocking numbers so the original stockers would delay development of sexual organs if a person was managing for a trophy BG pond? Would a person not want these fish to exhibit growth rather than gonads? And how come the first fish are a hard act to follow is they developed sex organs early rather than growth because of the lack of large adults to suppress sexual organ development?
Now my head hurts. The Legacy Bass thread got me to thinking about this but I have wondered about it before.
