Dang, George I agree with every word...can't even get a good argument these days
My own 2 cents:
Ponds are vastly different than Lake Fork or Table Rock or Big Sam. Growing "trophy" bass in a small pond may be a worthy objective, but if you want/expect to catch those bass more than once (or even once in some cases) in their lifetime, you may be in for a rude surprise.
I believe many get locked into the stereotype of what some on the Forum have called the "tried and true". If you are happy with those results, then by all means stay with it. As we often say, its all about your objectives.
LMB are the glamor fish. Watch the recent Bass Masters Classic. They deserve the accolades as they are a great game fish and remarkable predator.
That does not mean they will perform the same way in a small pond. In fact, they do not. I don't know the precise numbers but do know with some certainty that if you put regular fishing pressure on Florida strain LMB, they become virtually uncatchable, especially in the presence of artificial feeding.
I call that the great myth of ponds. You won't read that in any books about pond management (at least the ones I have read), you definitely will not hear most pond managers ever say that...and please, I'm not directing these comments at anyone in particular. I've lost years chasing that elusive LMB pond and am still chasing it one last time in an F1 pond that has no outside artificial stimulants.
If I had read George's post 10 years ago, today I would have a fabulous pond with abundant HSB of all sizes, teeming with forage fish, replete with BG larger than the biggest plates at the local steak house, and containing the occasional surprise F1 LMB. I would go to Lake Fork for trophy LMB and have 24/7 fishing paradise out my back porch.
I'm now two years into that plan and well on track to achieving it, but its very hard to give up on the great LMB.
