Thanks for your detailed and helpful response.
I have not seen any scuds in the water, but they may be there. I believe the trout eat bugs on the surface during the cooler months but definitely not in the summer. They may very well still have food, but I'm sure the bass have taken a big dent on their sources.
It is interesting about the leeches. They actually prey on my snapping turtles so much that everyone has at least 5 on each leg. I would be happy if the bass took most of them out. I'm not sure if that would effect the trout or not. If anything, I know that they eat leeches, so they may have more competition now.
They will certainly have an advantage during the cooler months, as that is when they thrive. That's definitely not the case for the bass. I like your point about looking at the benefits and not only the drawbacks of having the bass.
If I get YP I am just assuming that I won't be adding anymore trout. I don't like fishing for them since their so sensitive and haven't been eating any, so I really don't need them. I would like YP for fishing through the ice and to provide substantial forage to grow larger bass. If I have bass, I may as well grow them big as I do like bass fishing. At this point, I am actually looking for a way to have a balanced bass pond that has good fishing and is supportive of what already lives there (maybe minus the trout). I will need to figure out a solid stocking plan and culling plan to grow my pond to its full potential.
Thanks so much for your help.
