Knowing that fisheries grow CC for selling to the human food market...they should be making a profit otherwise they would not do it. A small BOW owner could mimic, to the best of their abilities, a farm production pond. The cost of feed would be greater per pound than the commercial grower's, but I suspect the small BOW owner could produce CC for less than grocery store prices and save some money. They cannot consider their time involved maintaining the pond or catching and cleaning fish. One would get upside down quick if they invested in aeration, nets, cages, auto-feeders, a dock, etc...not to mention if they included the cost of the pond construction. Now, it's a hobby not a cost saving.
Given that, someone must love to eat fish, love the hobby, and be happy that there is some financial benefit, even though it's nowhere near a money maker/saver.
Now, take an existing pond, throw some CC in without pellet feeding, manage the forage well, do noting else, but wait and you're onto a good plan to feed the family at a grocery store cost savings. Be careful, anything beyond a green tree limb, some string, and a hook...AND you have spent enough money for a few meals...lol!
Me....I'll spend the hobby money, enjoy the pond, and give most of the harvest away that is needed to encourage a balanced pond for nice sized fish. I'm more into sitting on the dock, catch and release, maintenance activities, and nature watching.
