Booner,

There may be one way to have some LMB if you don't mind having runts. They could serve as an insurance policy against accidental stocking of female BG. They wont get big and will survive primarily on the same foods as the BG. If you stocked 30 they would probably stall at lengths in the 6 to 8 in range and grow slowly from there as members of the population die. They would offer a bit of diversity in angling and if you accidently stocked a female BG, they would prevent your trophy male only BG pond from being swiftly ruined by reproduction. If the BG are reproducing, it may become more of a catch and release proposition or where the harvested fish are mostly female BG or fish in the 6 to 8 in lengths.

If you are able to maintain the pond "male BG only" the growth rates and numbers of large fish will be little short of amazing on a per acre basis. Given the size of the pond, I think you can manage the stocking piece. QA makes a really good point about young fish but you do not want to err by stocking females so a 1 or 2 year old that is sexually mature is worth the price of admission (~$15 lb). The BG in your neighbors pond may be 3 to 5 years old when you stock them. This gives them less time to live and grow in your pond. The stocking rates and harvest rates should be higher in response to stocking older fish. When stocking younger fish you can let them grow longer and ladder them in smaller numbers.

There are ways of add fishing diversity through other put and take species like TP and catfish that would not adversely affect the trophy BG fishery.

Last edited by jpsdad; 10/29/20 08:37 AM.

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