""I have been feeding both ponds and there are hundreds of bluegill and at least a hundred 4 inch catfish in the larger 1/3 acre pond.""
Are you sure that the hundred 4" catfish are truly channel catfish or are they bullheads?
Do you have an estimate of the ratio of bluegill (BG) to sunfish (GSF)?
The other thing you need to do is to actually measure the maximum depth in both ponds. Even if you have to float out there on something (thick styrofoam sheets) or barrels when the water warms.
