I guess, the difference would ultimately come down to an expense/reward ratio of some kind. Ultimately, is it cheaper/better to pump in trout or is it cheaper/better to pump in prawns?

Dr. Gary,

You are an amazing person! Its awesome how you are very open to everyone's ideas and input. Most people would be so stuck up on themselves to even listen to what others have to say. With you being so open about your ideas and projects is one reason why I believe you are going to be successful at achieving that record sized bass. God bless you and your adventures in making us TEXANS proud!

Thanks Doc and no I didnt reallize the difference although I spent countless hours hunting and catching them in the creek where I grew up as a kid I dont and haven't ever ate them. When I look at the pictures of the prawns I can see the difference and also understand how little effort it takes for your Bass to eat them.

As for trout that makes this whole entire deal that much more interesting. Having lived in San Antonio 20 years and fished the big 3 south texas lakes it would be nice to have that riddle solved? The riddle being what effect would trout have on our Giants especially in South Texas. Hopefully you provide us with an answer to that in the near future although I think I already know how that Song goes. Good Luck continued success and God Bless you and yours. We probably will never meet but it's cool to follow the progress of the project through this addictive machine they call the TFF!

what will your water temps range coldest to hottest through year?

Great read. Thanks Jordan!

Good luck on the record Doc! Glad to see you are on here answering questions, although I think this is just the beginning of them. Keep us updated and Welcome to TFF!

Great read and congrats on a great fishery. I used to fish Lakes of Danbury years ago and catching 100+ fish a day on any lure in the tackle box was amazing. (although it nearly ruined me for fishing my local lakes)

Great question Rob, and I am embarrassed to say that I am not sure. I know it goes below 55, because that is what kills the prawns, but I am not sure how hot it gets. I do have lots of water 15-20 ft and very little under 8 ft to help buffer the temp swings. Why do you ask?

I'd like to know how much Science and Technology is being utillized. Are you documenting all fish caught? Are you tagging fish? How big is the biggest fish caught thus far? What happens next spring after they've been feasting on trout all winter? This is about AWESOME as it can get!

Back in the daze of unlimited budgets, over in WC, and Big C got to fish that spot once.....

I found rainbow trout to be about the least expensive thing I could buy and feed my bass. By far and away cheaper than any minnows, and although by the pound more costly than crawfish, ALL the trout is digestible but only about 40% of the crawfish is. Trout also a very energy dense and nutritious food for bass. And easy to swallow a big one, no spines at all. I found "3 count" or 1/3 pound trout to be the best size for feeding bass of around 10 to 15 pounds.

I used a wide variety of forages with about 15 acres of hatchery ponds to feed about 250 acres of bass lakes. We produced a lot of tilapia (cheapest to produce by far, but not the "best,") bluegills, threadfins, gizzards, even bullfrogs, salamanders and a lot of common carp. More of those than anything, but in the form of "junk koi" or culls from the breeding of high grade koi to sell. A koi also a very dense nutritionally and easily eaten forage for bass. Must be careful with those, not something you want "established."

We did the prawn bit about 20 or so years ago, and got disappointing production from the ponds we raised them in compared to other things we raised at the time. The bass did like to eat them, then again, so did we.....

we'd get about 15,000 pounds of trout a winter. In summer I'd buy 1000 pounds of gizzard shad a week from a catfish farm, plus we'd seine our ponds weekly and feed whatever we caught from them.

I truly believe you cannot ever satiate a largemouth bass. They can eat a tremendous amount.

Growth is a function of the difference between the energy expended catching a meal and that derived from eating it. Hence some forages being more 'efficient" than others. If you feed a bag of corn to a deer by placing each kernel 200 yards away from the last one, the deer will likely starve to death. Like a bass eating dragonflies or having to catch a 100 little shad. But one good sized carp or trout easily caught and swallowed will provide a lot of energy over the effort, and thus growth.

I found feeding trout to be about the most cost effective method at my disposal (other than tilapia I raised on the place).

this is all just interesting to me, I'm not biologist, just seems there is a good balance for bass to get big long growing season, but not too hot too long to hamper.