I'm seeking some input to my plan with my pond. My main goal is to have big aggressive F-1 bass and HSB with a side benefit of catfish. July of last year the 13 acre pond was finished in Tyler county, Texas. Approximately 20 tons of lime was piled in the spring fed streams and around the slopped edges as recommended by the local county extension service. I've only tested the water for PH about 6.8. The pond site is a three finger hardwood bottom in which I had the surveyed waterline cleared by a lumber company(about 20 yard swath) but left about a third of the area(6-12 feet creek beds) with flooded standing timber and numerous brush piles in 1-6 feet of water. By November I had about 4 acres of surface water with and water depths of 4 to 15 feet and stocked 3-4 inch native blue gill(10,000),2-3 inch copper nose(2500), 4-6 inch channel cat(1000),75 lbs. of fat heads, and 2-3 inch threadfins(10,000 likely a 25% mortality rate?). Lately the pond is 4 feet from being full about 9 surface acres. I went with 500 6-8 inch pellet fed F-1 bass, 250 4-6 inch HSB,2500 2-4 red ear bream, 125 4-6 inch Blue catfish, 60 lbs of Tilapia and 10,000 fat heads.I'm a little concern about the survivablity of the bass and HSB with no pellet feeding. I plan to try the Threadfins once more with 10,000 3-5 inch spawning(hopefully) Thread fins. Since the first of March I've been feeding about 6 ponds a day from 3 feeders. I plan to remove 2 of the feeders and leave one on a dock for the catfish. I've fertilized with some favorable result but due to the Tannic acid (coffee color about 18 inches visibility)it's difficult to measure my success. I started fertilizing by using water soluble 10-35-0 and followed up having laid about 8 bags slit open around the springs of 10-20-10 granular fertilizer. I've been reading everything I can get my hands on for the last 6 months including Pond Boss magazine and Bob Lusk's book on trophy bass. I get the impression that pellet feeding certainly grows fish faster but may change the behavior of the predators not to be aggressive towards lures so if that is true I'm cutting back on feed and working on my forage thus fertilizing and building brush piles for cover for my forage to survive and multiply hopefully. I'll also be adding yearly stock of Talopia.I plan not to take any fish until my second or third year depending if the bass spawn next spring except for the occasional catfish and perhaps in my second or third year add gizzard shade. I'll start some limited fishing late this fall to monitor the growth rate of my preditors. Note also I stocked on the heavy side since I don't live on the property and have shot/scared off 1-5 water turkeys evertime I show up these last 2 months. This web sight has been a great resource, thanks. Any comments are appreciated.