I'm not an expert on this but have read a fair number of posts lately where folks with good intentions for having a predator/prey balance found out that the HBG got way ahead of the predators. Unless you want a trophy BG pond as your priority most are wishing they had never started with BG or HBG.

Several midwest pond owners posted recently about unpleasant nipping for swimmers, converting of the hybrids back to their purebred green sunfish parent and then the multiplication of young rate being way more than anyone had promised them when they stocked them.

Also, someone else can chime in but the HBG fit better with a LMB predator, where the LMB has a bigger appetite and a bigger mouth.

You have a great plan and it looks like SMB is going to be your top predator. I would say you are going to run into the same issue with too many bluegill.

Your HSB sound great and they will help to some degree but won't keep up with all the young RES, PS, and bluegill.

A SMB dominant pond (with extra predator help from the HSB) sounds like a great opportunity and many wished they could have gone this route in their pond. But if it was my pond I would drop the HBG all together. You only have 25 SMB, they can easily have their hands (actually mouths) full eating minnows and trying to make a dent in the number of young of the RES and pumpkinseed parents.

RES and PS aren't as prolific in their offspring production but the RES and PS might still get a head of the predators here with plenty of minnows to eat.

Do you have crayfish for the smallmouth?

If it was mine I would do my best to avoid LMB and BG of any type seeing you have worked so hard to set this up for success so far.


Last edited by canyoncreek; 10/24/19 02:41 PM.