What is the point or the reason or goal of harvesting any of the trophies or >24" bass? If one spends all this time and effort producing a true trophy LMB or any trophy class fish specie what is the purpose of harvesting it if you were the one who was able to work long and hard to actually grow it?
For sampling them long term, IMO you will have to be hand feeding them to reliably harvest / catch them when needed.
Bill, from the perspective of management I wanted to keep the number of the fish > 20" limited to 5. To be sure, I don't know what to expect for those selected for the final grow out. If they would gracefully pass on at 10 years, then I wouldn't have any thing to worry about I guess and wouldn't have do anything. I just don't want them to spend their last years declining or to prevent new recruits in final growout from achieving their potential (a kind of everyone can't win scenario). To be sure, it isn't for the meat. It would be great if I could find homes for some with Cabelas or Bass Pro where they could live in comfort for their days remaining. It's a long time away, I may not find it so easy to part with them when the decisions have to be made.
