Guys :

This was not my study , I read about it. It was conducted by Jason Olive while studying fisheries science at Miss. State Univ. He is now a District Fisheries Biologist for the Ark. Game and Fish Comm. I have not seen the entire study just a short 300 word+- summary.

The results. After one year the BG in the ponds with added cover averaged one inch longer. My estimate 7 inches vs 6 inches or about 15% bigger. Bass in the cover added ponds 3 mths after stocking averaged 2 inches longer. At 6 mths after stocking the bass in the cover added ponds averaged 13 inches vs 11 inches in the no cover ponds that is 18% larger. Some of the bass in the cover added ponds were 15 inches at 6 mths after stocking. The faster growth of the cover added bass occured mostly in the first 3 mths when the bass were under 10 inches. The author believes this is because of the nature of the added cover, xmas trees ,because of the dense limbs bass feeding efficiency went down as they got larger (above 10 inches). ewest