This applies no matter what you stock (unless they are at least 1/2 the size or bigger than the biggest LMB) into a pond with adult LMB.

Two articles of note concerning the need to habituate small bass to avoid excessive initial predation. The articles are entitled A Laboratory Evaluation of Poststocking Predatory Losses for Cultured Largemouth Bass by J. WARREN SCHLECHTE, ROBERT K. BETSILL, AND DAVID L. BUCKMEIER from The American Fisheries Society and Initial Predation of Stocked Fingerling Largemouth Bass in a Texas Reservoir and Implications for Improving Stocking Efficiency by DAVID L. BUCKMEIER, ROBERT K. BETSILL, AND J. WARREN SCHLECHTE from the American Fisheries Society. These studies, one from the lab and one in the field, found that predation greatly affected post stocking survival of fingerling largemouth bass. They revealed estimated losses of stocked fish to predation in the initial period after stocking at high rate ranges from 27.5% to 75 %. Fingerling largemouth bass survival significantly increased when the fish were allowed to habituate in a predator free enclosure for a short period of time. The study showed this short-term protection enhanced survival because it resulted in improved new fish’s awareness of existing predators and sharpened their instinctive avoidance skills.

Use a net like Shorty or a cage like Bill but do protect them or they will be gone.