There are many types of ponds represented on PB so harvest is highly dependent but is necessary. With different species and different locations there are many right and wrong answers. With this warning see below from an old thread as to LMB.
Relative condition rules everything else. Trouble is with it (condition or RW) you are looking at a snapshot in time. The key is to anticipate what is next - and that is not an easy task. The creator of condition indices - PSD which gives you a better pic of what is to come (Dr. Anderson) gave the following example.
See this thread -
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=426550#Post426550For LMB
This is what is suggested by Dick Anderson - the Prof who wrote the book on PSD.
Keep taking <12 in bass until the number 8-12 equals number 12-15. Ideal pond structure is 40% 8-12, 40% 12-15 and 20% 15+
This assumes good fish condition.
Another suggestion is take out all the fish in poor condition in all size groups. Note the size group that is stunted (over crowded) will have a much higher % of fish in poor condition.
Fisheries science early on (Dr. Homer Swingle the godfather of the subject)learned that you can get a pic of what is going on with a species by looking at the status of its forage. What this means is you can verify RW , condition and size distribution results by looking at BG/tilapia/shad etc. results. For example with BG if you are missing/short on 5 inch BG but have lots of 8-10 inch and 2-3 inch then you likely have to many 14-16 inch LMB. If that corresponds with low RW on that size LMB (14-16) you have confirmation of your problem. Another example of why you look at whole population numbers PSD is to early on curtail future problems. If you have for example 75% in number of your LMB population by electroshock survey being 10 inch healthy LMB then you are out of PSD balance and will have a problem in the future as they will over eat their size forage. So cull to meet the % Anderson provided above from the worse conditioned fish in that size strata as well.
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