I think I would have no problems keeping the YP going with a little more management.
1. I would have another predator species to help reduce the burgeoning SFS and the left over large GSH. They are probably what is keeping YP from successfully bringing in new classes of recruits. I'm sure adding 5-6 SMB would get things back in balance.
2. Stocking YP once nearly 10 years ago is part of the issue. There comes a time where you need a new round of stocker fish of the 4-6" size class to get things going again. I probably don't have enough males to adequately fertilize either. I seem to have lost the entire 1 and 2 yo size class. This could be from WE predation as well, I truly don't know how many WE I have and my pond size is small. I may have a handful of WE left.
3. I can feed adequately but I don't have adequate vegetation to protect the YOY. I can't seem to get it started, possibly due to polymer seal on the bottom of my pond. I'm just now starting to get some vegetation starting on the edges that are 1-2" deep when full and exposed when the ground water drops. The goal was to replant some duck potato that is just starting to leaf out in the ditches around here. My sedges and bunches of swamp buttercup are doing better.
4. My winter time experiment of sprouting pickerelweed from seed failed. I got to see little green shoots come out of several seeds but when I transferred from water medium to light potting soil they never made it. I will be sourcing some online or some other way.
