PondsForFun,
Your interesting questions prompted some thoughts:
1) First on "consistently catching trophy bass from a small lake or pond". A small pond, less than 15 acres, that is fished often, say once a week minimum with C&R, may contain trophy LMB, but they can not be consistently caught. Of course, it depends on one's definition of "consistently", but trophy bass are not caught weekly in a small pond and not monthly, and rarely more than two or three times over their entire lifespan.
2) Second, regarding "really good bass fishing and what you did to achieve the fishery". Every one has their own definition of really good bass fishing. Here's mine: a catch rate of 10 LMB per hour by a skilled angler using fly/lures with a 50% probability of one fish of 5 pounds or greater for each hour of fishing." To achieve that requires LMB with native(northern) genetics, light fishing pressure, excellent natural forage, and a shotgun on guard 24/7.
3) Who has the best bass pond? The person who has met all of their pond objectives.
4) What is the best bass fishery you can hope for in a pond? My answer is the same as discussed in #2 above. To get there, and still be able to fish regularly (weekly) requires multiple ponds, IMO. There simply is no way around it. Fishing pressure must be minimized and a way to do that without giving up fishing is to have multiple ponds. I do not buy the argument that one 5 acre pond is better than two 2.5 acre ponds in terms of meeting objectives outlined above. Same for 10 acre pond vs three 3.3 acre ponds. The 90%/10% rule applies directly to all small ponds and as a result, LMB are easily conditioned. Smaller ponds, in which fishing pressure can be managed, i.e. rotated, are extremely effective. LMB, in excess of 8 pounds, can be raised and caught from as little as 1/4 acre ponds, but not every week or every month.
