Pond Boss Forums INTRO Common Pond Q&A (archives) LM Bass Info Stocking, Growth, Management

More LM bass threads:
Expected growth rates:
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=367415#Post367415

Here is some information from Texas A&M Extension about using pellet trained bass.
Stocking pellet-trained largemouth bass is another area of consideration. In monoculture of even sized fish, largemouth bass trained to accept manufactured diets is quite effective for producing fast growing individuals. This method is also used to produce fingerlings, or juveniles, for sale as pond stockers. Often times, pellet trained largemouth bass fingerlings are sold at a premium, costing as must as two times more than un-trained largemouth bass fingerlings. There are advantages and disadvantages to purchasing pellet-trained largemouth bass for stocking. The advantages are faster growth, earlier maturation, and reduced loss to predation. Pellet-trained largemouth bass will grow faster (at first anyway) because they do not have to work as hard to obtain food and food is always available, if fed regularly. This increased growth and subsequent size means the bass will also mature earlier, sometimes spawning in the first year allowing for faster population establishment of the pond. The larger size also reduces predation, as smaller largemouth bass are more vulnerable to predation than larger individuals. The disadvantages are the fingerling cost, feed costs, reversion to piscivory (eating fish), and no generational effects. The costs of stocking 50 2-4″ un-trained, northern sub-species largemouth bass per acre typically costs between $57.50 and $82.50, while the costs for stocking 50 2-4″ pellet-trained, northern sub-species largemouth bass per acre typically runs from $92.50 to $132.50. Stocking larger ponds with pellet-trained largemouth bass can quickly become cost intensive compared to un-trained fingerlings. Most commonly available pond diets are channel catfish diets that contain between 28 and 32% protein. While these diets are fine for catfish, bluegill, redear sunfish, and baitfish, largemouth bass require higher protein diets (>40%, with 42-48% being advantageous). Therefore the diet costs are much greater for largemouth bass diets ($40 to $55 per 50 lb bag) compared to normal pond fish diets ($20 to $32 per 50 lb bag). Pellet-trained largemouth bass also have a tendency to revert to piscivory (eating fish) when baitfish such as bluegill, redear sunfish, and fathead minnows are present. The larger they become, the more likely they are to abandon eating pellets altogether, instinct simply takes over. Using typical, lower-protein pond fish diets also means that some of their protein requirement may go unfulfilled, so they must revert to eating fish to meet their protein demands. The final disadvantage is that you only get one generation out of pellet-trained largemouth bass. Largemouth bass must be forced or trained to accept pellets in a hatchery in the absence of all other food. After these pellet trained fish spawn, their offspring do not know that they are 'supposed' to be pellet trained or that they came from pellet-trained parents. They naturally and instinctively begin to prey on living food items in the pond and continue to do so for their entire life. Ergo you only get one generation, the one that you initially stocked, of pellet-trained largemouth bass. Continuing to feed pellets is still beneficial as the forage species in the pond will continue to eat the pellets and these in turn feed your largemouth bass.
Reference:
http://fisheries.tamu.edu/pond-management/species/largemouth-bass/

Good Growth of LMB & BG in Indiana
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=441965#Post441965