Pumpkinseeds, Perch, Pike, Bluegill, Walleye, and bass. What is the right balance in a lake? What are the roles of each for growing trophy fish? What is the predator/prey ratio and how do they balance each other in a lake?

It sounds like the answer might be complex, but really it isn't.  It's explained in simple terms here: http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/walleye-bass-perch.html

Perch, walleye and smallies are all present in the bays and ponds connected to Lake Ontario. As far as inland ponds, the few smallies I've caught seemed to be ones that someone tossed in, as opposed to part of an actual population. I don't ever recall a walleye and the perch I can count on one hand.

The LMB, pike, sunnies, and rockies are all over the place.

Good article. Nice insights into species interactions. Love the Pond Boss material.

Thanks, Glenn.

It sounds like the answer might be complex, but really it isn't.  It's explained in simple terms ...

Well...I hate to be a party pooper...

In ponds in which you built from the ground up or are the manager and have the means to manage it, I suppose the job of understanding how it ticks could be made simpler. But, most of us fish in ponds that are not carefully managed and monitored. Thus, "we gets what we gets", and figuring out why a pond is the way it isn't readily apparent.

Great if it's just bass and bluegills, or bass and perch, but what if it's bass, bluegills, perch, crappie, channel cats, and ... ? What if water levels change? What about fertility? Vegetation types? Variable growth years in vegetation. My ponds just don't stay the same, left to their own devices.