The Black Bass Pond option can also be managed by the numbers so to speak. Below is a management method based on relative weight of bass, bluegill and redear stocked in bass/bluegill ponds.

Relative Weight Management

    Relative weight is the ratio of the actual weight of a fish to what a rapidly growing healthy fish of the same length should weigh. Fish with high relative weights are fat and those with low relative weights are thin. Based on the relative weight of the fish in your pond you can determine if corrective action needs to be taken to improve the growth of your fish.

             To calculate relative weight for a fish, simply measure your fish in inches and weigh it in pounds. Then look at the chart below to determine what a fish that length should weigh. Divide the real weight of your fish by the weight from the table and multiply by 100. This number is the relative weight of your fish. If the number is below 80, the fish is thin, not growing and should be removed from the pond. If the number is between 90 and 100 the fish is growing well. If the number is above 100, the fish is growing very well.

An average of relative weights for the bass and bluegill you catch can help you determine the overall health of your pond using the table below. A low bass relative weight may indicate there are to many bass and not enough bluegill, while a low bluegill relative weight may indicate that there are not enough bass and to many bluegill. The relative weight can also be an indicator for specialized management. For example if you want to catch big bream, you need small bass, therefore you want the relative weight of the bream to be high and the relative weight of the bass to be low.