Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Bass overcrowding not a problem?

You heard correctly. Managing for trophy bass are opposite methods than those for trophy panfish. In larger waters you can have have both types present if harvest and management is correct. But with special management the numbers of each "targeted type" present can be increased. As Bob Lusk always says "a fish stops growing when it hits the frying pan".

In trophy bass fisheries you want lots of intermediate sized bgill (4"-7")and similar forage sized items and keep the smaller bass (8"-12") numbers LOW.

For trophy panfish you want lots of smaller sized bass and very few large bass who are primarily eating large bgill (5"-7") . High numbers of smaller bass (8"-14") are keeping the numbers of small bgill low so remaining bgill have more food to grow big. Big bass are eating bgill in low side of keepable size range.

Keeping track of harvest rates (#/yr) and periodic monitoring the numbers present are important in maintaing the quality fishery over time so it does not get "out of balance" based on the desired goals.