With stocking RBT, remember that you don't have to stock RBT to feed all the LMB in the pond, just the ones that you want to grow to trophy status. i.e. if you have 10# LMB that you want to get larger, don't stock 4" RBT, stock 10"-12" RBT.
I like the brood pond idea. I think it would help you all year long.
Talk to Todd and see if he can get you some 4"-6" RBT. They will be less expensive than larger ones. Stock them in the brood pond as soon as temps allow in the fall, and feed 'em as much as they will eat daily. They will most likely double in size in a few months (or sooner), THEN stock them in the big pond.
In my pond, I had 2# RBT go to 6#-7# in 8 months, and that was only feeding slightly less than 50# of food per month to all the fish in the pond. I had stocked 100# of RBT that year in the pond.
