Thanks to all for such valuable feedback. This site is an amazing resource.
I have considered the problems of our dry, evaporative, Central Texas climate. I am fortunate in that I can somewhat supplement my pond's water levels with a well. One of the few advantages of such a small pond is that it's practical to top it off occassionally with well water. Having said that, I'm hoping to have my contractor build one end to a depth of 15-20 feet to hold a small amount of water at the bottom in the event of an extended drought.
But to the issue of stocking: I will definitely attempt to establish a forage base for several months before introducing predators like large mouth bass (I don't think I have the patience to wait a whole year though!). I wasn't planning on including crappie in my stocking mix, as I have read that that could cause problems in such a small body of water. I didn't know threadfin shad or hybrid stripped bass are viable in this part of the country -- at least none of the hatcheries seem to stock them.
And, yes, I'm aware that a pond of less than an acre is unlikely to produce very many trophy fish. Fortunately, I only plan on catching them one at a time. :-)
