Big Steve - your standard fathead minnows just are not very predator smart and that is one of the reasons they tend to get wiped out easily. In the presence of a predator, like a bass, a bluegill will freeze and go motionless to avoid predation, a minnow will not freeze up making it a much easier target for a predator.
Bruce Condello told me of an interesting idea that might just work for you. His idea was to fence off a small area in the shallow end of his pond to keep the larger predators out and then set up pallets or other spawning structure for the fatheads, the fencing would be large enough to allow the fatheads to freely move in and out through the fence. In theory this might provide some protection for the fatheads to sustatin themselve while providing some food for the predators when the FH's wander outside the fence. The fence edge might also be a good spot to go fishing at.
Do you have any bluegill in your pond for forage? This might be a better option than trying to sustain a FH minnow population.
