jpsdad,

Thanks for coming back to keep answering all of the additional questions I ask after digesting your previous answers.

I feel like a 12" LMB that keeps trying to swallow a 9" BG. I have no chance of swallowing that BG now, but one of these days I will be large enough to swallow him whole.

I really appreciate the math and step-by-step descriptions you are giving of how to get a pond to achieve the management goals that are being pursued.

Today I added to my knowledge base from another direction. I took a field trip to help snrub transfer HSB and RES out of his forage mini pond.

Snipe was there for expertise and manpower. RStringer supplied manpower and girlpower (his daughter was a big help). Mrs. Snrub was the chief videographer.

Read snrub's thread for the details:

https://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=370619#Post370619

The experience really put jpsdad's numbers into perspective for me. The pond is only 0.1 acres. Snrub drained it down 5-6 feet, revealing barren clay banks. No weeds on the banks or bottom, and essentially no cover or structure.

Yet every time the seine went through the pond, it came out with chunky HSB, healthy adult RES, and a myriad of 1-3" RES. We also removed at least a dozen mature FHM.

Literally, the only things the pond had were quality water and supplemental feedings. I had to see it with my own eyes to believe how many healthy fish were removed. (I didn't see a single stunted fish among all of the ones I handled.)

I now see the hardiness of healthy fish in a well-managed pond. That does reinforce to me that a rookie pond person can make some mistakes, but still develop a "good fishing" pond! There is so much knowledge and experience on this forum, that any pond trending in a "bad" direction will at least get several strong pushes in the right direction!