The biggest factor I have seen is extensive shallow areas. People think shallow and immediately think vegetation take over. To prevent this, lay down rock. What more do smallies like anyways? The vegetation isn't going to grow through rock. The rocks provide prime habitat for bluntnose minnows. For both spawning and refuge. If the pond has good areas of shallow, say 6"-18" rocky areas and the bluntnose minnows/spotfin shiners are given a good period of time to spawn unharassed by predators I could see both species doing fine even under SMB predation. As long as the SMB are not allowed to get too overpopulated.
Loved reading this and reaffirmed one of the things I'm doing in my pond as it's being built. I'm using a specific arm to keep shallow just for this purpose. I was planning on dumping rock as well as encouraging vegetation and planting at least one root ball. Hoping this will be an area of the pond where we will always see thousands upon thousands of small fish, relatively safe from predators.
I have a shelf for smallmouth spawning beds that leads into this area. My thought is the smallie fry may venture over that way and start gorging themselves right away, as well as seek cover themselves.
