Pat,
Not sure if you have been following the many posts on here in which several of us have described the problems with the catchability of LMB in small ponds practicing catch and release( especially the older larger LMB).
Others have said we were simply bad fishermen and/or poor pond managers or whatever, even said that larger bass bite lures as well as smaller immature bass in ponds with c&r.
Most of those who agree that LMB do develop catchability problems in that environment,i.e small pond c&r, also believe that genetics and fishing pressure also play a large role in that conditioning problem. I have even asserted that artificial feeding may be a factor, especially when applied to satiation of all fish in the pond.
Would you please describe your LMB genetics, approximate fishing pressure and whether or not you are artificially feeding. Not that one case solves a mystery but it is more data. Thanks.
p.s. your report is no surprise at all to those of us who have experienced the closed mouth LMB.
