Hey Walt welcome from NW OH.
The "little spinners" are likely whirligig beetles. Numerous species; the most common ones in our region belong to the genus
Gyrinus.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whirligig_beetleWhy do you think the "bugs" are a problem? These surface dwelling bugs feed on "stuff" in the surface film of the pond thus often cleaning the surface waters of debris- usually a good thing. It takes a pretty large BG - HBG (5"-7") to eat one of the larger whirligigs. RES likely will not eat many of the adults but RES will feed on the aquatic larval stage. Fingerling bass (2"-4") often are not able to eat these surface beetles. It usually takes bass 6"-8" long to begin eating them. If lots of small minnows are present the LMB will tend to eat the minnows first; leaving the surface bugs till later when minnnows become scarse or harder to catch.
There are numerous fish stocking possibilities for the smaller pond of less than 1 acre. If you want LMB in the pond then BG are often the better forage fish to naturally grow bass to larger sizes. Larger LMB can be easily grown in smaller ponds without BG if you buy pellet trained LMB or any other type of bass. As you have hopefully read HBG produce very liminted numbers of fry each year thus they are not good forage producers to feed LMB. I assume you have read this from the Archives about HBG -
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=256325#Post256325.Many of the HBG are pellet trained - ask the seller if interested about this. HBG in proper conditions I have seen work okay with YP, HSB, or SMB and/or walleye (WE). There are pellet trained yellow perch (YP) and occassionally SMB available. All HSB are pellet trained. A few WE can be an option in with special forage conditions in smaller ponds. I often use WE and/or HSB with a YP. Some pond owners go to the extreme and stock single sex panfish and or predators. I know of one 14 acre lake with forage and ONLY female LMB! So unusual fish stockings can be done.
IMO you should decide on the type of predator you prefer then stock the appropriate forage fish to feed that predator. Occassionally a mixed species of predator can work with some additional management efforts such as supplimental feeding, adding forage, heavy harvest of predators. Generally the fewer predators you have the larger they will grow in the pond and vice versa. More predators the smaller and slower growing they tend to be. That is why I prefer non or low reproducing predators for smaller ponds. Then one has much better control of the number of predators; essentially a put and take predator fishery. Often SMB produce limited numbers of fingerlings each year compared to LMB who are usually quite prolific. A Prolific predator can be good or bad depending on ones goals.
