Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations What makes exceptional trophy lakes different?

Don't know how many might consider stocking trout but the image below depicts consumption and growth of LMB and RBT standing weights for a temperature profile near Tulsa where the LMB are assumed to consume 50% above the maintenance ration. The simulation goes from Dec 1 through May 7th (159 days). The size of RBT is avg 6" and the Standing weight of LMB is assumed to be 25 lbs/acre distributed between 6 fish (a little over 4 lbs average weight). So these are the large fish a person would want to feed by stocking trout for forage. At this consumption the standing weight of LMB would grow ~19% and all of the RBT would be consumed. This assumes that the LMB were eating nothing else (which of course would not be the case). So probably would take less RBT than this for similar growth when other things are on the menu. The weight of RBT needed for this is 11.5 lbs of 6" RBT for each 25 lbs of LMB large enough to consume them. The 11.5 stocking provides ~33 lbs of forage because some of the RBT grow before being eaten.



One of conditions of such performance is the consumption. If RBT are by and large too big to be captured fair chase, then of course a greater number will survive to larger sizes and fewer will be eaten. Now I will mention that 6" RBT are a big meal even for 10 lb LMB. 1 is more than 50% above the maintenance ration. For the 6 totaling 25 lbs, consumption starts at around 1 RBT every 3 days but by the end of the forage period the consumption falls to 1 every 8 days or so. I think a similar stocking rate with 4" or 5" RBT would allow more frequent and dependable consumption. This is really important with any forage stocking. The fish have to small enough to be easily consumed or they are not actually food and the standing weight at stocking needs to be high enough that normal consumption doesn't initially keep pace with the initial growth rate of the forage (something which allows the standing weight of consumable prey to increase under cropping). If this condition is met, then the forage standing weight will rise and reach a peak and then begin declining. Each spawn of BG is doing a similar thing where only a minority of YOY BG are able grow past the consumption window. Several fold the maximum standing weight of consumable prey is produced and consumed because they are growing throughout the cropping period.