Let me introduce another fish stocking option, if you are interested in seeing how big of bass you can grow in a Tennessee 3/4 ac pond. TJ suggests using ladder stocking of Female LMB that is a good option however obtaining all female LMB is a definite CHALLENGE of getting them for stocking. There is also the possibility of somehow getting an unintended, eager, fertile male LMB introduced with all the lady LMB.
Instead why not initially stock HSB and specklebelly sunfish (SBS as Hyb BGXRES) or less preferably regular HBG (BGXGSF) with initially some FHM and some golden shiners (GSH). IMO this type of fishery could be very good even with casual hand feeding of pellets and not needing an automatic feeder. I prefer use of SBS because regular HBG can due to lack of management result in a population of 'look alike' green sunfish that I think and find are a very problematic type of panfish in ponds. Whereas the SBS if numbers are not well managed revert more toward a regular bluegill strain or type of panfish. Use of hybrid sunfish are often occasionally when needed restocked , but do not necessarily need to be ladder stocked.
Both HSB and SBS are available in TN via Jones Lake Management.
https://joneslakemanagement.com/locationshttps://shop.joneslakemanagement.com/collections/fish-stockingThe main point of using HSB is there no reproduction nor possibility of over population from them and the HSB will grow fast and big with less competition if you keep them well fed using the shiners, good habitat to sustain shiners and use of good quality fish pellets. The limited number of recruits from the SBS or HBG will provide some limited forage fish to sustain the HSB when you are not feeding pellets. Start the HSB and other fishes on small appropriate sized pellets and then when the HSB achieve 16"-18" use the large hand throw 22mm -1" pellets from Endurance or Purina companies. With this plan expect to grow the HSB to tackle busting sizes of 7 to 8 lbs or maybe even bigger with good management.
One of the key items is to not initially stock too many HSB and over crowd them thus causing poor water quality and fish kills. Bob Lusk's "Happy Water" always grows the best quality fisheries.. If you want big HSB the quickest, I would not stock more than 16 - 18 in 3/4 ac. IMO ladder stocking would not really be needed unless unexpected deaths of HSB occur due to inappropriate angler activities. HSB do not tolerate well being 'jaw jerked' during the warmest summer months. Feed them and let them grow great during mid summer and do your fishing during cooler water periods - Spring and Fall.
See and learn from this lengthy thread about growing HSB.
https://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=92629#Post92629Other PB Forum members are welcome to provide alternate stocking numbers and ideas. If you use regular BG instead of hyb BG, I think this would put undue stress on the pond's carrying capacity due to the tendency of BG crowding and the panfish as a group would not be as big of an average size.
Ultimately "down the road" if this plan did not work or does not meet your goals, you have the definite option and ability of always later stocking of the pure BG and LMB. However if you first stock BG/LMB you really do not have a good nor easy ability of success to later stock and have good use of the HSB / hybrid BG option as a viable fishery.
