...and if they have food they will become acclimated to the pond and be ready to spawn at the earliest opportunity. That is a big + . In addition it’s a risk management choice. It’s one thing to risk a small amount of $ on FH or a few 3-5 inch BG and something entirely different to plan your entire stocking $ on the risk.
Here is the point. Do you want to pay for and stock 1000+ BG per acre in May/June - let’s say 3000 BG @ .25 = $750+ or do you want to risk $50-100 and buy 50 advanced 4-6 inch BG and stock them in November and watch them spawn in April/May @ +- 20,000 offspring per couple - that’s 500,000 potential new BG . Many will be morts but you will get a lot more to 3-5 inches by summer’s end than by stocking 3000 2 inch fish in May. Of course you can split the risk and do some of both and have several size classes by next fall. My usual choice.
I understand both methods and have used them and others successfully. I like the idea (Bob and Bill’s) of the fish growing up in the pond and thinking outside of the box about concepts. IMO the fish to bet your pond on are the ones born there not necessarily the 2 inch ones you buy and put in. That is a key difference. The first fall/winter stocked fish in low #s are not the ones I want to use up the ponds carrying capacity. It’s their yoy I want in that prime position. They will grow-up in a nearly empty pond from day 1 not day 90. In addition I can do a better selection for quality job on 4-6 inch BG than I can on 2 inch .
It’s all about the time , risk , availability , goals and planning.
I note andedammen’s use of the bioenergetics model. Good point which we should all learn to use and think more about. It really fits this thread on winter growth. Here is the last time it was discussed.
http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthread...true#Post126419
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