Lusk once said: Of all the eggs laid, hatched, etc only a very small percentage will grow large enough to spawn. Why? They get eaten. If they didn’t, there would be an O2 shortage. For that reason, I am reluctant to kill/cull bluegills. They are the basis of the food chain and thus have booming spawns.
The predator/prey relationship has to be balanced. Without bass, bluegills would be their own worse enemy.
One of my ponds is a little less than 1/4 acre. During our ongoing 3 year drought, it’s more like 1/8 acre. It started out, 40 years ago, as a bass, catfish, bluegill, fathead minnow pond. Now, it’s actually a green sunfish pond that don’t successfully spawn. If they did spawn, I would have an O2 crash. I often toss pellets when I get there. Since it’s a mile from the house, I don’t get there on every visit.
