Norm, we have lots of small BG but 2-3" BG have been a rarity over the years. They are there this year simply because we removed 240 LMB last year in the 10" to 16-3/4" size range, that's alot of BG that didn't get eaten for a change. Right now the drainage ditch is fairly flat, runs 120 yards long and has a 24" drop before it "T"'s into another very small creek. I do know that farther downstream from there there are fatheads and GSF in this small creek primarily in some shallow holes. I think it's highly unlikey any of those exist in the drainage ditch below the pond as the water is just too shallow there. Due to the drought the drainage ditch is full of foxtail and cattails and would be impossible to sienne with a net. However, it would be possible to clear an opening to strech a sienne net acrros the ditch an simply walk downstream and heard them into the net, although I'm not sure two guys would be able to lift it up afterwards.

Right now I am trying to figure out if this is significant loss of BG or just an insigniicant small percentage that went down the spillway, I really don't have a good feel for it. Either way the remaining BG should see good growth rates due to increased invertabrate numbers. The other alternative is to do nothing and simply cull more LMB than I had planned to this year. Things have tendency to rebound after getting thinned down and with our pond having an extra 2ft of water this year both the LMB and BG should see a significant population boom later this year. To salvage or not to salvage? That is the question.