HideHunter,

Yep, you are right. Mine seem to top out at 10 inches but they get there fast and there are tons of them. 10 inch BG are commonplace in my ponds.

I generally agree with folks who say the natural way is the preferred way, I really do. The reason I feed is simple: I love HSB and they need the 45% protein. The BG is just a side benefit. I accept the non-natural for the sheer thrill of catching HSB on a 5 wt. I have fished all over the world, caught just about every fish that swims, and a 4 pound HSB on a 5 wt from your backdoor pond is about as good as it gets, IMHO.

I also believe in modifying ph, total akalinity, and total hardness and firmly believe in pond aeration to mention a couple of other "non-natural" things I do.

I also stock Tilapia, a non-natural fish that when caught on the fly will make you forget BG. If I could post a picture I would show you guys a 2.9 pound Tilapia, caught this fall from a LMB pond, and only 1 growing season old (stocked in April), and not artificially fed one stinking pellet.

Texas has a special category for fish records...private waters. I plan to own many of them.