Thanks esshup.

However, I am still a little bit fascinated by this question.

Can your reverse the construction of your answer?

I thought HBG grew faster mostly due to hybrid vigor. However, what you say about mouth gape must certainly be true.

In a "natural forage only" pond, presumably a large population of various sunfish fingerlings would quickly consume all of the forage that fit into the mouth gape of the BG. At that point, only the HBG and GSF would be able to keep growing by eating larger forage.

So let's flip the question and now make it a pond with supplemental feedings of pellets of the correct size.

In that case would GSF put on weight faster than the BG?

One answer to that question must assume that they were equally likely to feast on pellets. Hatcheries sell pellet-trained BG, but I have never heard of pellet-trained GSF. Even if the the GSF were genetically disposed to putting on weight faster, might the BG put on weight faster because they are "smarter" in their behavior to take pellets?

I am only asking my "inside baseball" FishinRod questions, because lots of people have come onto the forum and asked about creating a "eating sized" panfish pond (as opposed to a trophy BG pond). Some of those questions are from people with pretty small ponds and limited budgets.

I think the correct answer to that question would usually be HBG as the fastest to eating size. However, they would not reproduce well and you would probably need supplemental stockings. Any chance GSF would work almost as well for gaining weight, they would reproduce their population at a steady rate, and the pond manager could cull enough fish as to NOT require a predator?

[If anyone wishes to type a long, comprehensive answer to those questions above, maybe drop a note in this thread if you think I should start a new thread on that topic.]

Thanks, FishinRod