Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Evaluating New Pond and New Fish

Boondoggle - Dr. Willis was an expert professor, good associate friend and very good fish guy. He gives very good information about LMB survival. However He is referring to LMB in an established community not in a new pond setting. IMO LMB survival will be higher than 30% in a new pond setting primarily because due to lack of competition from various LMB year classes and lack of established ecosystem stressors in a new pond. Now once the community year classes become well established in future year classes of LMB,,, then I whole heartedly believe the 30% mortality rate derived from numerous practical fishery research studies.

IMO your LMB first year survival of the first stocking of LMB into a pond full of optimum forage will closer to 70%-90% compared to 30% survival. This assumes the stocker LMB were handled properly from seining to final pond placement. There are numerous handling and holding steps in between seining & pond stocking where health stressors to LMB can easily occur. Stressors kill fish.