For example, I now understand that everything in ewest's post is true. However, I still don't know how to dial back the expected top bass size for a 3-acre pond in SE PA, to something that would be achievable by an active, but non-professional pond manager - presumably on a budget with reasonable limits.
Good points FishinRod !
As to the one quoted above my answer is you don't try to do that. In small (< 4 acres) balanced LMB ponds (managed for healthy LMB of all sizes) there will be a couple of LMB that jump the food-based size constraints and keep growing to max size. Those fish are part of the balancing function as they eat small LMB and BG. Those are your trophy fish for that pond. For a trophy LMB pond (managed for low #s and large size LMB) there is a purposefully unbalanced LMB population.
What to harvest and when --
https://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=484155&page=1 This is what is suggested by Dick Anderson - the Prof who wrote the book on PSD.
Keep taking <12 in bass until the number 8-12 equals number 12-15. Ideal pond structure is 40% 8-12, 40% 12-15 and 20% 15+
This assumes good fish condition.
Another suggestion is take out all the fish in poor condition in all size groups. Note the size group that is stunted (over crowded) will have a much higher % of fish in poor condition.
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