Thank you Rod,
I agree cover is really important for prey fish and other prey items. It also provides additional foods and when the cover is alive it provides even more benefits. I think efforts towards providing diverse habitat is really good for pond's bio-diversity and in so many ways makes the aesthetics much more satisfying.
This scenario presented here is a bit of a Franken-Pond when it comes to the predator fish (LMB & BG) community members. I think to many it may seem unnatural and that is only because it is. There would be no other way to support 100 lbs of LMB whose avg weight is in the trophy category and where in the population a trophy individual is the rule as opposed to the exception. This not a natural condition.
That said, the niches that would otherwise be filled by the BG and LMB offspring can now be filled by other creatures and a broader more diverse community can flourish where other members of the community are participating in greater numbers. The problem with the scenario is that there is little support for it from fish suppliers. One needs 1 year old sexed LMB grown on forage, sexed BG that all reach adult sizes in their first year. The ability to purchase 1.5" TP fry at a reasonable price ... say $25/lb ... would be a great help too.
