Greg, I emailed you that study so you can check out the raw data. In, response to your last post I would WITH RESPECT have to disagree. Based on the data im reading theres really no difference between a management plan using tilapia than that of BG exept tilapia can support a heck of a lot more bass. correct me if i'm wrong. when they harvested the tilapia after 6mth there were over 20,000 juveniles(828lbs worth), the Brood fish weighed an avg of 1.04lbs with the smallest being 6.5 oz and the largest being 1.4lbs. This is after 6mths. What size bass eats 1lb BG? 494-5oz bass were released of which 296 were harvested and weighed 1.2lbs. IS that good growth? I truely don't know YET. you would be more qualified to answer that. I would think that a steady diet of 1-2 lb tilapia would satisfy even the largest of bass?at the same time there seems to be plenty of young forage to get them big enough to eat 1 pounder's. When it comes to tilapia surviving predation they either do a DAMN good job or their just forage factories. Either way the bass and I should benefit. SO, you are correct that my goal is to put food on the table and i would assume that after 1-2yrs I can put as many 2-3lb tilapia on it as I want, and 6-7Mths later they will be compleatly replenished. I should probably leave those 1 lb fish for the bass to eat? As far a BG goes Greg, I love them. I'm from GA, I grew up with them, but I have been blessed, #1. W/ PB forum. I have been able to research for mths before my pond was dug ( STARTS NEXT WEEK ) and almost every on says that they CAN catch the tilapia IF they can keep the BG away long enough #2. I live where my tilapia can overwinter and still thrive, they get bigger than BG, Faster than BG and IIII think they taste better. Oh yea, ive read that pound for pound they fight better, can't wait to test that one!If i can't get them to bite without BG (or chinese cabbage) The CNBG will be in their in a heartbeat. And to all, this is not mean't to be an arguement I just want as much input as i can get on an agreeable stocking rate for my forage and bass in a 3 acre pond. Please help. Keep this in mind. I hope to run this like an experiment (meadowlark w/GG?)where all data is collected with Pics so that all of us can get the benifits of this MAYBE STUPID IDEA.
