Originally posted by Dave Davidson1:
If you think about it, 5 years ago, tilapia and HSB, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife and Texas A & M, were not considered acceptable as pond denizens.
DD,
I'll never forget attending the first "Pond 101" conference in Athens about 6 years ago and several noted pond management speakers said exactly what you said...Tilapia are a "NO NO" because they will leave you with huge fish kills and cause your bass to get too large for your pond....yes, they actually said that..."cause your bass to get too large for your pond."
That's when and where I got the idea to stock Tilapia...I kind of wanted to see some LMB "get too large for my pond".
I haven't seen that yet, but am still hoping.
I happen to like all fish, do not consider any fish a "trash fish". Fish simply do what their genetics are programmed to do (no hidden agendas)...and in some cases, that programming isn't consistent with the PM's goals. That does not mean, however, that the same fish can not indeed be the fulfillment of another PM's goals.
The GG pond is, thus far, one terrific BG pond and is achieving one of my goals for my ponds...to provide a place where kids and kids at heart can experience fast paced exciting fishing that can turn into a lifetime love of a sport I cherish.
If it turns into a mess of stunted green sunfish, as some on here continue to say, it will still have been worth it to me. There is a little girl in Ash Grove, Missouri named Bethany that is now hooked for life on fishing and is trying to convice her classmates and teacher of the wonders of the TGG pond in Texas. Doesn't get much better than that, for me.
