Yes, if I was a biologist and getting into pond management here in MI I would turn everything upside down and try to guide all my clients to never put LMB or Bluegill or any type in their pond. If they want to catch hundreds of stunted LMB and bluegill then there are dozens of lakes all around 'managed' by the DNR that offer that opportunity. Why would you build those some conditions on your own dime in your backyard? I read on the forum that the only way to really manage LMB in these circumstances is to cull LMB like mad until you are culling 15 and 16" sizes to really get trophy results. Here in MI you can't even cull a 12 or 13" bass in a public BOW without breaking the law. So lakes are full of skinny 11-12" LMB
There are plenty of cold water forage options and YP, WE, SMB, chain pickerel, NP make great cold water pond predators. Outside of the YP, the other predators all naturally control their own population by not finding it preferable to reproduce in the average size northern territory pond. The YP happily reproduce and the above mentioned predators are really fond of eating the young YP too.
RES don't overwinter well this far north but again, if I could be a pond manager/fish truck driver, I could replace the panfish void perhaps with a hearty hybrid of RES or could try to create my own sustaining population of pumpkinseed for stocking.
But yes YP are a very hearty, vigorous, pellet eating all purpose predator and forage type fish. They control my smaller snails and insects and are always ready to bite the kids hooks. This year we may have a real nice YP dinner too.
Jim I'll study my ribbons today. I thought you were doing these pictures over several days time but it makes sense that all the ribbons right now are in different phases of maturation.
