Mark,
A 1/2 acre pond can produce quite a bit more fish with a put/take fishery than it can as a natural balanced. There are some real good ideas for you to consider here, but based on your goals/conversations, you may want to stick with the HBG/HSB Combo and Put/Take every couple of years. If you want to add crappie to the mix, I dont see a problem with it, because I am fairly confident the HSB will keep their recruitment to a minimum in your pond and they will provide a nice bonus/forage to the mix. You may not consistently grow 14-15 inchers, but your originals will get to 12 inches pretty quickly, and you can keep any 8-9 inch offspring that you catch if they stack up there. It is fairly easy to control their numbers in a small pond at certain times of the year if needed.
With a 1/2 acre Hybrid Put/Take with occasional supplemental feeding your fish will grow large, be very aggressive and will put some meat on the table while providing quite a bit of sporting activity as well. You may not grow the Illinois state record, but you will have alot of fun!
Dont worry about feeding the fish hundreds of pounds of food, just supplement them when you can if desired either by hand or with a feeder. If your only on the property once a month or so, I would hold off on the heavy feeding program until your in a better position to monitor fish feeding activity as well as neighbor/poacher activity. There are pros and cons to a heavy feeding program, and it is not for everyone for every situation.
****My opinions expressed here may take into consideration your goals/thoughts, etc but are heavily biased towards my small pond management/ hybrid striped bass experimental management style. Please remember that you are the pond boss and ultimately will decide the right path to take for your new little slice of heaven****
