I have read on the forum about the guys that have an incredible mass of their desired target fish at the top of the food chain in their 1/4 acre pond!

I am definitely wise enough to know that, I am not THAT GUY. Maybe I could get closer after retiring to the farm and putting quite a few years of pond management under my belt.

You are also correct, that what I am really after is "good fishing".

My concern on pond management is applying my book/forum knowledge to applications in the real world.

I can imagine letting a single male LMB slip into my female-only pond. The experts post how easy it is to "sex" some of your fish. (I think both LMB and BG are on the "easy" list?) Yet one rookie mistake would set you back by several years!

Thanks for all of the advice and encouragement! If you think I have a shot at good management of ponds as small as a 1/4 acre, then that gives me confidence in handling a 0.5 or 1 acre pond with a little more room for error.

P.S. I don't ever recall reading a thread where the experts posted their worst rookie mistake in pond management. Do you think that one might generate some humorous and enlightening posts?