Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Corrective stocking Why so much size diversity on LMB?

We have a small lake that has had issues with a leak, so we are having to do some population reduction. The lake is 18 months old, stocked with bait fish in February 2006 and 1-2" LMB added in late May 2006. I am in the process of reducing the numbers of LMB due to shrinking lake size, and are seeing a wide variation in size. The stocking program included Florida's and F1's. I am seeing LMB from as small as 6", to as large as 14" (my wife caught a nice 1 1/4lb. LMB tonight). Most are in the 7-9" range.

Does the size range seem normal for 1st year bass?
Should I be seeing more 12-14" LMB?
Is this due to genetic differences between F1 and pure Florida's?

We have overcrowding occurring now, but have a healthy BG population ranging from 1/2"-10". Small bass seem healthy, but not fat.

Mike, I thing that is fairly normal. When I stocked my first pond, many years ago, I bought small fingerlings. However, some of them were a lot larger than the others. I asked the hatchery guy about it and asked about the size difference. This guy, Mr. C, was already in his 70's and had been raising fish before Lusk was born. He told me they were all the same age and called the bigger ones "hog outs". He told me that these were the more agressive bass that would grow much more quickly and had been eating the others.

However, he also enlightened me on some other stuff that I have never found to be true.

7"-9" average size from 1"-2" stockers sounds like good, but reasonable, growth.

Up here, I'd think a 14" LMB had to be from something other than last year's small stockers. But everything's big in Texas, so I'm assuming that's REALLY good growth - with one heck of a forage base for that hog out to eat!

Mike that sounds normal. Theo and Dave have answerd most of this . On the Fla/F-1/Northern question. Studies have shown that in a geographic area like yours northerns grow faster than Flas the first couple of years and that F-1s are in between. After that Flas grow faster and live longer.

Thanks guys

hog out - cannibal

"However, he also enlightened me on some other stuff that I have never found to be true."

There are a few fish farmers out there that are very good at what they do, but don't have much of a scientific background. When they see something they don't understand they come up with the best explanation they can.

A practice by no means limited to fish farmers.