The winter just started a few days ago. So its too early to tell if they'll overwinter. If they are still there mid-March then you have water capable of overwintering them.

I don't know of any Texas members with overwintering TP. You would be treading new water if they make it through.

Anecdotes from member ponds with annual stocking/die-off seem to suggest that TP overlap the BG niche to some degree and inhibit BG recruitment. This is evidenced by good growth of BG in this environment. It is probably a combination of TP predation of BG fry and competition between TP and BG fry that introduces this effect. Another trend seems to be high LMB recruitment. This may result from a combination of lower BG numbers during the LMB spawn (BG help to inhibit LMB recruitment by egg raiding). Both of these effects seem to benefit BG by reducing recruitment of adult BG through predation.

I do know that Moz TP form the backbone of the LMB food chain in some South African waters. This particular species matures early and generally only grows slowly there after. From this perspective, they make excellent prey for LMB because YOY tend to stay within the consumption window (in terms of size of prey) for large LMB. Your biggest challenge if they make the winter will be preventing TP (and possibly the BG) from stunting. You will need to keep the number of mouths down. Probably need a larger mix of LMB than with BG. So I wouldn't remove a 16" LMB from a pond with overwintering Moz TP in the way I would a trophy BG pond. Ideally, the TP production would just exceed the maintenance of the LMB which would be concentrated by weight in lengths of 16" to 20". Given your pond is .5 acres, you could possibly drain it and start over if they are too difficult to control.

Just had a thought about netting them. I think the TP may be difficult to control by cast net. You may consider feeding close to shore and lifting a pre-positioned net to capture them. Some small home-use catfish farmers this method to harvest fish.

It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so - Will Rogers