Snipe I am no pro but have been reading on this forum for a few years and manage 5 ponds of my own.
Keep in mind those stocking rates are starting with a blank slate. No fish present when stocked. Here is the thinking, based on what I have read here on PBF and gathered from other posters, as well as some limited experience of my own.
Stocking a relative small number of BG can actually lead to more fish rather than less. In some very old research papers, stocking only as few as 5 pair of BG produced enough offspring to completely provide fish to reach carrying capacity of the pond quickly. In fact, stocking more initially actually led to lower overall fish populations, the reason being the initial stocked fish became predators for newly hatched fish of the first and subsequent spawns. So the 5 pairs produced more spawned reproduction than say if the a hundred fish were initially stocked, because of lowered predation.
The other thing that comes into play is the first fish stocked are usually the best growth rates the pond has to offer. Later spawns have difficulty attaining the growth rate of the initial stockers because the pond quickly reaches carrying capacity and food becomes a limiting factor. So if nice BG are desired, if you stock a small number you will have a small number of nice BG but stocking larger numbers will produce larger numbers of those quick growing nice size BG.
Not sure if I explained myself very well. But low stocking numbers can actually lead to over population. Stocking correct numbers for the goal desired can start out with the correct balance desired.
Those are a couple reasons I have picked up and the actual stocking numbers depend on if LMB are the main goal, BG are the main goal, balanced pond main goal, etc. In a private pond where desirable size fish are wanted in the shortest time possible, it can be looked at differently than a large public lake with different dynamics.
That is just my non-professional non-expert opinion. Now the experts can give you the real answer.
