MnAngler,
After you had responded with the latest population estimates, the predator situation did not appear severely under represented. That is why I didn't make recommendations for stocking predators. If you notice the 5-7 group, they are not that numerous. They may occasionally be eaten by 4 lb LMB. Also they will grow into the 7-10 group when you harvest BCP in the 7-10 group. Same thing goes for members of the 7-10 group that you don't harvest. They will grow into the 10+ group. You do need some small BCP surviving to become 8" or 10" or 12" some day. You have a top heavy population. There isn't enough BCP in the bottom two classes to impact the overall health and condition of BCP by harvesting them or submitting them to predation. Just doesn't make sense to pick on them. Their Biomass is too small to have much of an impact. Leave them for you 4 lb LMB to eat and the remaining to grow up some day. What kind of condition are LMB in? Are they fat? I did also try to balance an LMB population to the BCP and a very modest population of BG. One thing that concerned me was whether, given the top heavy BCP population, they may be a bit thin. I would like to know more about their condition before I could make any recs for adding predators.
Anyways, again, the BCP population is top heavy. They are thin because the food is limited. If you take away 37.5% of the Biomass by taking half the fish in the top two tiers ... the population will replace that biomass. Right now ... they may make a length increment ... but they cannot add weight when they have already filled the carry capacity. They just stay the same weight while the RW declines and they grow a little longer. Predators cannot help a top heavy forage fish population. Predators consume YOY and juvenile sized fish primarily. You are going to have to be the predator of 8" to 12" BCP. Again, I am just not sure you need any more predators, that is why I am not making a recommendation to stock extra at this time.
