Okie,

I agree with others comments on HBG. They are a waste of your money, and in fact will hurt you in trying to meet your objectives...they do not reproduce as many offspring as CNBG and they reproduce something akin to a green sunfish.

The question on genetics is very relevant to you meeting your objectives...trophy bass. I'm going to assume that your location will indeed support Florida bass in that someone has already stocked F1's (not a true hybrid across species but a cross within species). If you are after the largest bass you can get, then Floridas should be your choice. Catching them is a different matter, but you said "trophy" bass, not catchable bass.

I brought up the question of shad from the viewpoint of forage. Threadfin shad, which will not survive at water temps below 43 or 42 degrees are great LMB forage. If you have larger LMB, then gizzard shad become a viable option for pushing your LMB even higher up the weight scale. If money is not an issue and your climate is ok, you could consider stocking rainbows in the 8 to 10 inch range if you really want to supercharge the LMB size. Another forage option is Tilapia depending on the legality in your area.

You seem to be very clear in your objectives. However, your situation, i.e. several ponds, affords you a unique opportunity to enjoy other aspects of ponds and fish than just "trophy" bass. Many folks start out wanting to raise "trophy" bass, but after time come to understand that it may not be much fun to raise LMB which have a very low probability of being caught. They also come to realize that species such as HSB may offer even better characteristics than LMB in a pond environment. If you are set on "trophy" then have at it and folks here will offer their best advice to help you achieve your objectives.