I keep churning the SMB idea in my head. I know this fish won't do well in combination with most lepomis and definitely not with LMB but I've read about them as a standalone fishery. Buck and Thoits found they could achieve fall standing weights of 170 lbs/acre in unfertilized ponds and that they can sustain cropping pressure closely approaching carrying capacity (carrying capacity appeared limited by winter conditions). This seems like an easy fish to manage on its own in combination with various invertebrates and minnows provided their numbers are managed through harvest.
Texas is pretty far South for them but could they do well on their own with out heavy competition from other species? I saw an article from American Sportfish where they were stocking them in the deep south. They claimed they thrived in their shallow production ponds and that temperature was not an issue for them. Buck and Thoits also trialed them in shallow ponds and subjected them to a lot of handling (and marking). They remarked they were a very durable fish. Does anyone know why American Sportfish quit offering them? I suspect low demand and failures due to species competition but don't really know.
Their article is here.
