John I know you have fished for many years and are an accomplished angler. I on the other hand have very limited fishing experience before I built my ponds. Since I have built them I have fished quite a lot but only at my own ponds. I don't go fishing anywhere else (ok, I fished Highflyers pond at his get together a couple times).
So I am still learning a lot about fishing seasons, weather, lures, etc.
One thing I found really interesting is even at 51-55 degree water temperature how actively my BG are biting. I've had great fishing the last couple weeks even after I thought the water would have been cold enough to slow the bite down a bunch. Maybe I just have starving BG.
I do know they are overly abundant and have been purposely thinning them, having removed several hundred over the last couple months. There are 55 out in the holding pen waiting to be cleaned right now.
It has been a lot of fun doing it! Though cleaning 50 to 100 or more fish at a time gets a little old. Thank goodness I made the cleaning station on our dock. That really helps.
fish cleaning station 
