Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Sustainable Forage...fatheads?

Removing GSF should definitely help your LMB population, both by removing direct competition (those relatively big GSF mouths) and by eliminating GSF interference with BG, which are much better forage (more prolific) for LMB than the GSF. So removing GSF and slot limit bass are both good things to do.

WRT the (un)desirablility of GSH, if your sole goal was good bass fishing, I don't see any drawbacks to having a Shiner contingent in the pond. They are good forage and since they occupy a different niche than BG, the sum of BG + GSH forage should be greater than what BG alone could achieve.

Depending on the relative priority you place on BG fishing, GSH could be said to have possible adverse affects. IMHO a GSH population does reduce the biomass available for BG by eating some of the same stuff the BG do.

We have heard here that GSH can be difficult to establish in a pond with existing BG/LMB populations. Plus GSH tend to get wiped out over time in ponds with LMB. But the time frame for GSH to disappear is much longer than the period FH can be expected to hang around (5-10 years vs. 1-2 years), so the Shiners are a much better choice than Fatheads both from a longevity standpoint and because they are bigger meals for bass.

TFS are a little different case which I will let Shad experts discuss, other than mentioning that I'd bet Threadfins will not live through Kentucky Winters and would need restocked each year (IIRC the dieoff temp for TFS is 42 degrees).

To summarize how I see it:

FHM: Restock several times a year, small meals for bass.

TFS: Restock yearly, medium meals for bass

GSH: Restock every few years (we hope), medium meals for bass