Since I can't have my favorite choice, tiger musky, would alligator gar be a net plus for controlling number of smaller LMB? I know they'd end up eating anything that fits in their mouth, but I did read an article stating fishery biologists suspect AG may actually help lunker bass fisheries by eating the little guys.

Anybody know more? Research studies?

One of the things large bodies of trophy LMB water have that small BOWs don't is large predators. I think they can be important, especially in those reservoirs. In your own BOW, in the right number, carefully managed, perhaps they would. Would you point me to that article? This is something of interest to me.

Large predators perform a dual role I think for help LMB grow bigger. They limit LMB competition by eating smaller sizes of them and the increase the supplies of appropriately sized forage by removing forage that is too large for the LMB to eat.

I read the comment about gator gar in the In Fisherman website. They had an article on gar, particularly focused on alligator gar. Haven't seen any scientific studies, though.

Assuming gator gar would be beneficial, it helps that they cannot reproduce in a pond. Not sure about reproduction of longnose gar or pickerel. I've caught gar, but not chain pickerel so know little about them.

If big gar eat big BG, not so sure I want them. I try to protect my largest CNBG, RES, and BG, hoping to break the 2 lb barrier some day.

To be sure, I don't know exactly what I will eventually do when it comes to stocking my own pond. Its evolved, but I would like to have a pond of 6 to 8 acres like you. Part of what makes me uneasy about what not to stock is not fully understanding how species interactions will play out. From the management side it seems much easier the fewer the interactions are. The simpler the interactions, the more predictable the outcome a management action will be.

I like the idea of a two species combination where bonus sport fish (and possibly a bonus prey fish) are temporary. I also like a single predator (like LMB, SMB, or HSB) in combination with small non-competitive prey where bonus sport fish (and possibly a bonus prey fish) are temporary.