AbqBrian, would you kindly define your goals for each of the ponds in whatever detail you chose? I'm asking this as I understand a BOW as small as 1/5 acre cannot raise more than a couple or few LMB to any size. Depending on your fishery/fishing goals, there may be several other combos than the typical BG/LMB one that could more readily satisfy your fishing itch.
I'm not knocking the traditional BG/LMB pond. It's just that I hope you are aware that once LMB and BG are established in a BOW, it can be difficult to change the makeup of the population to other species perhaps more interesting or suited to your goals.
As an example, our 1/4 acre pond came with LMB, YP, and grass carp. I've added BG and GSF and reduced the plethora of small bass by removing 100+ three years in a row to help the sunfish get established. This year I've seen 1 bass about 18" long; I have 1 about a foot long eating pellets, and then all I see otherwise are fingerlings. I haven't removed a bass for 2 years. Last season there were several in the 10" to 14" size range. They're no longer visible.
I live on the pond, walk around it fishing or throwing food several days a week. I'd see other bass if they were still here. What I'm saying is this experiment has not turned our pond into a bass pond. The YP are nearly gone. The BG, HBG, and GSF are great. All sizes are represented with some pushing the Colorado state records. I find it quite easy to be the primary sunfish predator, keeping numbers down to a reasonable level. The viscera of all sunfish includes quite a bit of white fat.
All this to say managing the small ponds and the soon to be built new one will be very difficult from so far away. That you've caught some decent bass from such a small pond speaks to it not being harvested for all these years. It's hard to imagine more than a handful of 2, 3, 4, or 5 pound bass in there. You'll get to know all of them quickly.
Each trip to Tennessee must be something that you Really, Really anticipate, right?
