re: 1/2 or 3/4 acre pond?

Bigger the better. Deeper the better.

If you're on a well, rig it up so that you can run water into the pond when it gets low, or when it needs oxygen. Rig up an aerator also. As an example, if you leave it to nature, your pond will produce 500# of fish per acre per year on its own.

But if you have a feeder and an aeration system, you can produce up to 10,000# of catfish per acre with an aggressive management program.