AbqBrian,
You posted- "3/4ac pond 6ft avg depth (we're hoping). 2. Want to focus on large bass."
For reader reference here is the original link for the pond plan build.
https://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=44185&Number=576798#Post576798Because you do not yet have the pond completed, you have a lot of time to read, learn and think about what type of fishery is possible in a 0.75ac pond with relatively shallow water for Tennessee and not NewMexico.
Before we go much further, here are a few quesions for you.
1. Again what is the Maxx Hydrid that some offer??? You can just provide a link to the farm that sells them.
2.. Why just 6 ft deep? Tell us about your average annual rainfall where the pond will be located?. Look it up. What are the warmest days during summer? Will the pond have a well to keep it full? If not, a deeper pond than 6ft would be a fish survival benefit during dry low rain summers.
2. In your opinon what would be your size of "large bass" ? Before you provide an answer, remember that the bigger the bass are in the pond the fewer number of bass there can be per acre. Do a little homework before answering what you want as largest bass .
Normally without a lot of extra food inputs a pond will produce and maintain around 50-60 lbs of bass per acre. Thus in 0.75 ac this means a TOTAL of 37 to 45 lbs in 0.75 ac.
A. As having largest LMB in 0.7 ac this could be 4 to 5 eight lb bass or as smallest LMB this could be 37 to 45 10"-12" bass. Both situations being around 40 lbs of LMB in 0.7ac. Regular pellet feeding and adding lots of additional forage items from deep pockets and with good aeration the total bass weight could be about double in the pond to about 65-85 lbs.
B. Realize and learn that LMB in a small pond can easily become hook smart (aka hook shy) with frequent fishing episodes. The fewer times they are fished or see that unique lure AND the less time they are fished for each session the less hook smart they become. Another strong factor for creating hook shy bass is catch and release(C&R) . Thus with C&R they do tend to easier 'learn' (conditioning) to avoid that bait. LMB generally do not like to be jerked around by the jaw and instinct tells them to avoid it.
So for growing a 5 lb bass, it may take 5 or 6 years, hopefully not 7yrs to do that. However this means for 5 or 6 years this same fish has seen and learned what is good food and not-so-good food. Thus you could have a few 5 to 6 lb bass but catching them could become harder and harder each year. Thus a 0.7 ac pond might be better to have mostly and more of 1.5 - 3 lb (14"-18") bass and a couple 4 lb bass than focus on having just a few very hard to catch large LMB at 5-6 lbs. Do the math for weight and numbers per acre.
C. Numerous stocking and management options are possible. One just needs to learn about pond fish management and what best fish fit into their REALSTIC goals.
D. If you have not read the lengthy LMB managment historical threads in our Common Pond Q&A Archives here it is:
https://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=255372#Post255372
