Thanks BD. I am looking forward to the discussion that might follow between yourself and others. I should mention that the 179 lbs of forage I earlier mentioned to have been already consumed was in error. That number is actually close to 60 lbs. I was glancing at a summation that summed a much longer period than what has happened thus far in your pond. Anyways, I edited above with the changes underlined. It's pretty amazing, but energetics is consistent with that very small weight of forage. FCR is amazing for little fish that consume at large proportions of their body weight. One thing really stands out to me. You actually stocked more minnows than the LMB could have consumed at their present weight. That is, according to energetics. I trust energetics because I am certain that the laws of thermodynamics are not going to be broken. It would take at least 60 lbs of forage to grow 50 LMB to an average weight of .61 from 5.31.2024 to 9.26.2024 Also I think that it would not take much more than that.
Another thing that is very interesting is that the consumption between 8.25 and 9.26 was a high proportion (80%) of what they had consumed up to 8.25. Cumulative consumption increased by 80% from 8.25 to 9.26. Just goes to show how forage needs grow exponentially as fish grow exponentially. Even so, the forage consumed thus far this year is only a minor fraction of what they would consume next year across the same period of time.
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From trapping of the BG there are at least three sizes of small BG/RES present in the 1", 2" and 3-4" plus the larger parents above. My concern was that when I was trapping I just wasn't seeing much of a QTY of them coming up.
