Lsutgrfan - note that some here (above posts) have noted that CNBG will not survive in ponds too far north. You are in LA and CNBG will do okay for you. The other fish mentioned as options were YP-yellow perch, WE-walleye, and NP-northern pike and these fish are not options for you. They prefer cooler water. Main species for you to consider are CNBG, regular BG, HBG, HSB, and varieties of LMB. SMB in proper combination with other forage species is an experimental option in LA to see how well they would survive and reproduce. Golden shiner is a forage species in your options. YOu should test your alkalinity to see if it needs lime for good fish production. Test kit from aquarium store will give you a good idea of your alkalinity.
I was kind of thinking that YP might not work. Sorry for that example. However, with his first post saying that he wants HSB and a trophy BG pond, wouldn't it be easiest to separate these two and have one in each pond and forget about the idea of one pond being a growout pond for the HSB?
