I think I agree with your take on the size of the TM. Bigger is probably better but the solution would rely on the goldi-locks standing weight that yields the results you are looking for.
I like to imagine different combinations as you are doing here. Thinking outside the box and creating new visions. One of my quests is discovering combinations that can support trophy predators and large panfish as well. With regard to trophy predators, a limited number is always the key but how does one grow large panfish also? Well one approach is to use panfish that have lower reproduction. How so? LMB are going to eat a limited number of prey each. So if there are fewer of them, the production of panfish prey numbers is likewise eased. Of course throw in LMB reproduction and it hits the fan. Many more LMB mean many more prey individuals are needed because LMB eat prey proportionate to their body size. But if the LMB do not reproduce ... They will grow large and consume prey in limited numbers at the 4" to 6" lengths. So 3 fish come to mind that could fill the prey role for trophy LMB where LMB numbers are in the 8 to 12 females/acre.
1. Warmouth - doesn't get as large as BG but the gape is much larger and the reproduction much more subdued. Where LMB do not reproduce WM could fill the small predator role between the lengths of 6" and 10". WM smaller than 6" are essentially prey when LMB populations are below 12 individuals per acre. The largest standing weights achieved by Warmouth in pond that I can find in the literature is 120 lbs/acre. In OK ponds sampled complete kill, Warmouth had among the highest proportion of harvestable populations exceeded only by LMB and CC.
2. RES - So these can grow as fast as BG and their reproductive rate is only about 25% that of BG. So if the population of LMB is low enough, these can even without the Warmouth, provided sufficient forage to feed large bass. Lower reproduction may actually be more ideal in that the growth of the RES should outpace BG and so reach the 4" to 5" lengths sooner than BG and be less prone to develop large populations just below the optimum lengths and stunt ( a risk of panfish with low populations of LMB). I would hope that WM would help keep the numbers of RES low enough to mark good growth into the >3" sizes that would pass into the prey window of Large LMB.
3. MOZ TP - IMHO, the combination of the above may need supplementation of additional prey in order to achieve desired growth and ultimate weights for the LMB. MOZ TP interest me because they can utilize resources that the Warmouth and RES will not. So there is a lot of free food rotting in the pond that can significantly increase prey production with MOZ TP. This activity has the added benefit of improving water quality. MOZ TP can be cultured in situ, but they can be more efficiently grown to the 2" size in small forage ponds and then released to the pond. This size will be near the upper limit of prey 10" WM could consistently eat and so most would survive and grow quickly into the Large LMB prey window. It takes a little over 30 days from fertilization to grow 2" MOZ TP fingerlings. They can be fed catfish feed if desired and the WM & RES probably wouldn't eat much if any of it.
I also like RSH for the Warmouth and RES. Adults are small enough to be eaten by 10" RES and WM. They have a short life (usually less than 2 years). They reproduce greatly without parental care of eggs. The LMB would virtually ignore them due to the large size of limited LMB.
So I figure if a person can limit the number of LMB in a pond to around 8 females he could grow a population with an average weight of >7 lbs per individual. It would involve an initial stocking of 6 females per acre and then subsequent stocking of 1.5 females per acre with an annual harvest of 1.5 LMB/acre year for the first 3 years. In the 4th year, the harvest is reduced to 1 LMB/acre limited to fish > 23" TL. This would allow some LMB to live long (2/3 of the ladder rate are taken beginning year 4 while 1/3 remain) Even with some mortality, some specimens are allowed to grow after year 4 (which is the 5th fall of age). These could later be harvested as trophies or simply caught and released.
So an 8 acre pond would be stocked initially with 48 Females and laddered at 12 Females annually. Harvest up to 12 LMB per year of the initial stockers for the first 3 years, beginning the 4th year a harvest of 8 > 23" LMB/annum is enforced, I think LMB up to and possibly exceeding 13 lbs could be grown this way even while the total LMB Standing weight is less than 54 lbs/acre. So such a pond needn't be really hot or running on extra cylinders. Especially in light of TP being able to convert more efficiently and utilize pond wastes. The forage required would be around 400 lbs/acre and half of that or more could be supplied by TP with no additional feeding in most ponds. It would probably take TP to produce that much appropriate sized forage. It might even take TP to do it if the primary forage species was BG. Without large numbers of LMB, however, BG are very likely to overpopulate so where LMB numbers are very limited, other species of panfish prey hold promise.
Since I am more interested in having 8"-10" WM and >10" RES than I am 10 lb. LMB it would probably be a failure. There may not be enough bass population to do it ... but if the pan fish could ... I'd be having cake and eating it too.