Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations YP management in SMB pond

You CAN have multiple trophy species, but this isn't what you stated as your original goal [trophy SMB], so we've been advising you on how to grow trophy SMB. I grow trophy fish in all species in my largest BOW - but it involves a major commitment to feeding high quality food, supplementally stocking forage, culling underperforming fish, maintaining water quality, etc. I spend 20-30 hours weekly from March - November to achieve these goals - it won't just happen, wish it did.

If you want trophy YP and SMB you need pellet trained fish and a commitment to feeding high quality feed to help relieve pressure off your GSH forage base. Smaller populations of SMB and YP will enable them to grow to trophy size. Your RES will do their own thing and grow to trophy sizes on their own as their forage niche is largely uncontested and the SMB/YP are managing the RES offspring through predation.

Spending required time, effort, and capital to achieve a trophy fishery isn't for everyone - you're reverse engineering mother nature - pushing a piano uphill, in a blizzard, barefoot. Per my previous posts, you can likely do nothing and continue growing nice SMB with your fishery as is.