My extensive experience with YP is YP are comparatively poor predators of BG. Plus in a BG based pond, what little predation pressure they provide is limited to slow swimming very small BG.
Small post-fry BG habitate shallow areas not normally frequented by YP (4"-8"). Plus importantly, the smaller your predominate YP are, the smaller BG they are able to catch and eat. Extensive research indicates that handling time and prey size are very important to predators targeting fish. Pond perch are not aggressive behavior type predators that capture active, normal swimming sunfish such as 1" to 1.5" BG. Try catching some 1"-1.5" long BG with a sweep net to get an idea of how fast small BG can swim. As a result YP in BG based fisheries exhibit relatively poor growth rates (less than average) and the YP are forced to alternatively feed primarily on invertebrates that are usually quite limited and sparse in a BG based community.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 11/04/16 09:41 AM.
