Perhaps we should define trophy status? I realize that individual interpretation as well as geography comes into play here, but are there ballpark figures that could be used as a benchmark, to indicate the quality of the BOW in question? Again, speaking from the perspective of a dedicated BG angler, I group fish into 4 categories...average, good, personal best (PB), and trophy. Using a BG - bluegill as an example, I consider 8-9" average, 9-10" good, over 11" a PB, and 12" or over a trophy.
For a LMB - largemouth bass I'm severely limited....I have lots of small Bass, but few large specimens. My PB LMB was a tick over 5 lbs, and the biggest I've seen come out of our ponds were a pair of 8 lb. fish...and that was a long time ago.
I still consider the size of the BOW to be paramount to success in this type of situation. You mentioned that the farm pond you fished was 20 acres in size? My friend, that's a lake out here not a farm pond!
Our farm ponds are usually less than an acre, with many half that size. And I'm going to go out on a limb and say that there are very few one acre ponds that produce LMB over 8lbs AND BG over 12", especially without supplemental feeding, or intervention on the part of the pondowner. I don't see how the math could work in that small of a pond.
Now 20 acres? That sounds more like a possibility to me. I still wonder about that sweet spot....a size range that strengthens a BOW's ability or likelihood to produce trophy fish, Au natural. I also think that aquatic vegetation plays a huge role...especially if BG are present. What kind and how much? It would seem that an invasive, or spreading plant might eventually dominate the lake to the point that the perfect balance could no longer exist. So that raises another question...what time frame constitutes a successful, natural, trophy pond? How long will the magic last?
To switch gears a moment, My HBG - hybrid bluegill will consume pellets ferociously, however a cast into the mix will yield maybe one fish...BUT, I probably fish more often than a lot here... I feed by hand everyday during warmer weather, and I usually fish that pond EVERYDAY...practicing catch and release...and my fish can be tough to catch, despite the HBG's supposed vulnerability to angling.
Now, if I stop feeding for a day or two, then it's game on. Certainly there are times when that increased feeding activity is due to weather patterns, or the time of year, but not every time....So does hunger play a role? And if so, then would it not also stand to reason that being not as hungry, (fed every day),would reduce the number of fish caught?