Originally Posted by Snipe
Many questions here and most will fall back on if you want large SMB, large YP, etc..
One thing I can add on your hunt for additional forage is SFS are very specific in their habitat requirements for spawning. I've spent 3 yrs playing with the spotfin and have had very little success. Bill Cody probably has had more success than anyone else I know of.
I have also been playing with Red shiner and Bluntnose minnow-both are recruiting outstandingly. In fact, in my 3 ponds I have FHM and BNM, the BNM is out-producing the FHM. The red shiners have exploded also. This years fry are 75% BNM, 25% FHM.
I'm trying to trap and separate RSH but they just keep showing up. I'm seeing lots of fry the last couple of weeks in my main pond of which I am pretty sure are Red shiner because I see the same late fry stages in my other ponds right now,
You need to decide what your main goal is and a plan can be implemented to start culling where needed. I don't think the RES will be a problem but large YP and large SMB will be a bit more complicated. Decide what you want and I'm sure you'll be directed in the right manner to get close to what it is you expect.
I will add one more thing.. The SMB are not keying on RES in a major way or you would see much fewer.. To me this indicates SMB are keying in on another forage type.

Snipe, that sounds like multiple threads you could start this winter when you get snowed in and stuck on your computer.

What went wrong on the spotfins, what went right on the Red Shiners and the Bluntnose minnows, etc.