... another item of interest that I want to add is my fall samples were 7 net sets, 1 per day. I decided to pull perch and smb so I set 2 per day for 2 nights. so in 11 net sets I collected 4-1/2 5gal buckets full of crawdads and I've removed every one of them. I stocked 2lbs a year ago and removed probably 35-40lbs now.
I find that very interesting as IIRC crawdads are preferred forage for both SMB and YP….make sure you put me on the invite list for that crawdad boil!
That's exactly why I stocked 2 lbs.. I knew there would be no predation the first year but I had no idea they would explode like that. I have feaky pictures of them coming up the bank after pellets when I feed. I have no vegetation left, they were even starting to consume my water hyacinth.
When the flood flushed my FA out, it changed everything, no doubt.