Hosty - Cecil will have to come back and give advice on how many bgil to add with the pellet trained bass. He answered most of the other main items.
If you do not use pellet raised bass then it will depend on your pond's overall fertility, water clarity and if you feed bgill pellets or not. Even feeding bgill pellets increases generally pond fertility and reduces water clarity.
On an average non-fed pond then I would stock 30-40 bass per 1/2 acre. Keep an eye on them watch growth and add or "thin" bass as necessary. If it was my pond I would stock minnows this spring and in fall stock mid-size bgill (70-90,, 4"-6") and bass late summer or fall. Typically Fender has LMB fingerlings as early as late July to mid August. Call Fender Last of July and see if bass are ready yet. I know Fender well; I have even given "hatchery talks" at his place. If added late summer, the bass will get pretty large by November. I would add 60-90 bgill in 1/2 acre. I would decrease these numbers by abt 15%-20% if your water clarity is 3'-5'. As an alternative you could add 80-100 fingerling bgill 1"-2" with the minnows in spring (cheaper this way; check prices).
Bass will thrive on the heavy spawn of minnows till bgill spawn in June of 2005. If you use 30 bass they will be bigger after 2 yrs vs 40 bass that will be 1"-3" smaller after 2 yrs. If you have too many bgill after 2yrs you can easily thin them in 1/2 acre with traps and fishing. Be The Manager!
