What would be a good expectation of 1st year survival of BD's original 50 LMB?
+1 on Bill's comments for reducing males so that more forage is available to the females.
BD, how many and what sizes of BG did you stock? IIRC you stocked 10 lbs of MOZ TP?
Just something I can add. 50 LMB growing to .61 lbs in 4 months require around 60 lbs of forage, When BD last reported, if the LMB averaged .61 lbs at that time ... the cumulative consumption would have been 60 lbs (give or take a little) according to energetics. Up to August 24, BDs LMB were consuming 23% more (average daily consumption) than the model for maximum consumption. The RW were >150 at that time. Now when I run from August 24 to 9/26 using the August 24 milestone as the starting place, energetics shows that the LMB were consuming on average only 90% of the model for maximum consumption. So definitely a VERY BIG change of consumption relative to the model. This alone, was enough to convince me that BD's worries about what the drop of RW may mean for growth over winter may be warranted. Personally, I don't think its absolutely necessary that his fish make their 1 year anniversary at >1.5 lbs average. IOWs I don't think it to be prerequisite to grow them by 1.5 lbs average over the next 12 months and each year thereafter. Trophy fish, I think will happen in BD's pond because I believe he will limit his population sufficiently to blow our minds with big fish he will grow. I might tell him he doesn't have to max things out in the first year to succeed remarkably. But BD, best I can tell, isn't going to settle for growing those fish at anything less than their maximum potential.
I know there is a large standing weight of BG and TP in his pond. We know his pond has already produced 60 lbs of consumed forage (if 50 LMB average .61 lbs) and if we add what was consumed to the production of surviving BG and TP we would have an understanding of the total weight of BG, minnows, and TP were produced this year. I suspect it is well above 60 lbs (its too far above my pay grade to venture a guess). Most of these surviving prey fish are too large for his LMB to eat. So here is my question, the answer to which is also above my grade of pay. Is there anything that BD might have done differently that would have helped him to produce less forage too big to eat and more forage in consumable sizes? Specifically, could he have altered the stocking rates of the various species he stocked in this initial year to produce more forage that would be of consumable sizes today? (So that he might not have had to supplement to keep them growing maximally).
Last edited by jpsdad; 09/29/2409:42 AM. Reason: Update the forage amount
It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so - Will Rogers
