My experience (which is not much ..two full season's) --
"I am thinking about stocking rainbows now instead of waiting until spring." now is a great time to stock them.
"If I put RBT in now, how many six inch fish would go into a 3/4-1 acre pond" I stock 40 on the average, 10" RBT each fall in a 1 acre pond and works out good for their growth.
"And will they eat feed over the winter?" Yes, but slow down when the water gets colder, but still eat. Cecil would give you an accurate temp this happens. Seems like 65 degrees is when they are feeding the most. Thus, probably for you, they will eat more and gain more weight over the whole winter, than summer, but I am guessing at that. For me they eatlike mad in the fall and spring, slow down in the cold winter, and slow down when summer starts-- then eventually perish.
"Will they leave any FHM or gams to spawn in spring? If so, will they have enough head start to stock BG and LMB in late spring?" It's a harder one to answer. I am not stocking any this fall because I want the fry to flourish a little bit more than they have been. Yes, the RBT will knock back the FHM population. How much and is that ok depends on what you want and do. Feeding the RBT will help the FHM out, as the trout go for an easy meal. But they still will munch on those FHM if its easy. When the RBT get bigger, my guess 12", they will be more of a predator to them and other small fry. Also, how much do you treasure your LMB,BG fishery. If your real goal is that, then maybe you don't stock any RBT and really let the baitfish flourish so when you stock the LMB and BG they will really get a good start.
