I can't really think of any problem putting them in a pond. The real problem in my mind seems to lie in the fact that their preferred feeding method, which is to school up with large numbers of other whites and corral pelagic schools of shad or alewives, isn't consistant with all pond settings. In many pond settings a white bass is likely to encounter difficulty with efficient feeding. Slow growth might be the result. White bass aren't nearly as likely to utilize pelleted feed, so you're left with a slow growing fish. The smaller the water body size, the more likely white bass are to have problems with reproduction. Generally speaking, ponds do not have an inflow with enough volume to keep eggs oxygenated. Also smaller (maybe less than 50 acres??) ponds don't usually have enough surface/wind agitation to create an oxygenated shoreline spawning opportunity.
I don't think anyone believes that whtie bass won't live in a pond, it's just that they probably won't thrive, and their biomass could be better spent on species more suited for that kind of environment.
I know people who have placed adult white bass in their ponds and are really happy that there is the chance to catch one because they are scrappy and tasty, but that should be your primary goal if you choose to make any stocking effort.
You could make an analogy to the landowner who has pen raised pheasants planted in a draw the night before hunting. It can be tons of fun if you're wanting to see a kid, or your great uncle get a shot at a bird. Who could fault anybody for that?? But in the long run it's probably not the same thing as creating shelterbelts, foraging and nesting opportunity in a region that supports pheasants. To each his own.
