Wow! Lots of good stuff on this thread!!
Eric: sounds like a wonderful set-up that you have. I really like larger rock for the smallies as they grow. In our "hill ponds" (rather than gravel pits), I like adding field stone to the ponds. Islands, face of the dam, humps, piles that run from shallow water down to deep, etc., are all good.
Bob-O: my first thought is -- do you have any rock naturally in your location? If you have rock in the soil, then a little wave action on the points will result in some rocky habitat. If so, you may not need to add rock? What does Cecil say?? Those feed tubs cost several bucks each at the farm supply stores. I haven't looked for quite a few years, so like everything, they're probably more expensive than I remember. "Surely" they are still less than $10? Nothing extravagant. Most of these fishes are really adaptable, and they'll probably use a variety of gravel sizes. I like Slymer's 3/10 inch idea, although I'm sure you could go larger, and include some that is 1/2 and 3/4 inch. I'm not familiar with exactly how such material is sold. We always scavenge stuff.
Slymer is also right to question whether tubs are needed. We only used tubs in the Kansas ponds because there was no rock whatsoever in the ponds. We wanted the gravel in the tubs to hold it in place, and not let it get lost by moving around, sinking into the silt, etc. If you have a better supply of gravel to spread in certain locations, the tubs certainly are not needed.
