DD1, Dave yesterday my water temps top to bottom at 1 pm were 88.7, the temps you mentioned where catch and release can or will kill my fish. I am confident in the temp number you gave is a good number. So, my culling of the lmb/hsb has been postponed till fall. I could fish and remove some for eating but I don't want to risk catching some of my trophy sized fish and then have to eat them instead of these trophy's providing memories to my guest.
Eric, "It depends" is as good of an answer as I can get for now. And Thank you for reminding me of all that. You know this pond has been different from the average pond and its been that way since the first stocking. I remember Todd Overton telling me that there was only one or two others in the state of Texas that was taking the same or similar path. So here it is 4 and a half yrs later. Lots of time and money since then. Highflyer (Brian) once told me a pond will only hold so many large lmb per acre. That was about 4 yrs ago. He is right. But I am not sure what that number really is? As I think about this, I look at ponds that are over run with stunted lmb and hold a lot of pounds per acre with no fish kill. I have fished those ponds where you can catch 25 +- per hr or maybe 30 to 40 lbs per hr. for several days. That shows me a pond can support a lot of pounds of fish like you mentioned. I am just trying to figure out how many pounds of trophy lmb/hsb can my pond will support without that fish kill due to having too many pounds per acre.
