Shooters are all hand sorted but backpack electrofishing methods are used in concrete tanks also. Cast net is very hard on a stressed, adult male guarding a nest.
Keep in mind on females that just because they have eggs doesn't mean they are going to lay them. At young age, LMB are similar to walleye in that they may go 2 years with eggs-and reabsorb them, then next year they may actually lay eggs. Stress, water conditions, population structure etc, all will play a role in whether those eggs mature or not, but for the purpose of female only stocking, it doesn't matter if they lay-which the may blow them or reabsorb but no production occurs because (hopefully) no males give them a spot-or lead them in to spawn anyway.
Different ways of looking at all of this.. Point is, if eggs are confirmed, it's 100%, but still another side to how they are selected and another story about what can be done with the unconfirmed fish.
Collecting for reproduction and collecting for trophy potential is 2 completely different goals.
Keep in mind also, males will grow to 6-6.5lbs at the same rate a female grows under specific conditions.
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