1.) Did your research indicate that OSS might thrive in poor water conditions?
Some sources note the OSS' ability to colonize marginal habitat. Perhaps harsh conditions is an environmental factor that helps OSS establish and maintain populations. OSS E values (percent of total weight) are probably inversely correlated with E values of other sunfish like bluegill. It is possible that excessive LMB standing crops are also an environmental factor that has greater effect on OSS competitors (other sunfish) than on OSS.
2.) If yes, then might OSS be a recommendation for the people that come on the forum with small, muddy ponds and want a sunfish pond with a few LMB?
I think that would depend. I would hope that they would want to clear their water and do more. I will add that other sunfish are also successful at colonizing similar habitats (eg Warmouth & GSF). For me to recommend OSS, I would very much want to use them myself. Though I am not averse to their use, (heck they may be in more of our ponds than we realize), I think whatever forage they provide could also be provided by other forage.
One question I have is how in the heck did they show up in 38% of the ponds in that OK survey? Were people stocking them? Or did they just colonize these ponds over time?
But back to your question, my sense is that they could be stand alone forage for LMB, LMB/Crappie combinations, LMB/Lepomis Hybrid combinations. They won't do well if there are a lot of BG recruiting and so they require a commitment to numerous small predators. They are not a forage that will help a person grow trophy LMB. If I were to use them it would be to establish a forage population that could feed an abundant population of LMB. I think they could have particular promise to extend a pond's carrying capacity of LMB. BG cannot do this. BG can feed LMB and help them grow large but they aren't going expand a ponds ability to carry more LMB standing crop. So again, they can only make sense when one intends to have a lot of small LMB. I would just mention, this may not be an unreasonable goal for some people. LMB are aggressive fish that are easy and fun to catch even if limited to around 12". If community structure is not oriented toward small LMB ... I do not think OSS will compete well and their ability to sustain a population would be in question.
Finally, I don't think its a given that OSS can establish a population long term without other important factors. Shallow habitat and cover may be essential in a pond with LMB and other Lepomis. Every pond is different so everyone will get different milage.
