A couple of things come to mind. You say the ice is just off the pond. If the pond has an inlet and/or an outlet stream you should fish near where it enters or leaves the pond.Ice limits the amount of oxygen in the ponds and the most oxygen will be in the moving water. On ponds without moving water, Winter ice limits the oxygen supply even more. Just after iceoff In these types of ponds most of it is just near the surface so you would fish the open water near to the surface.
I'd go with a Pheasant tail nymph or other such searching pattern starting with a #12 and getting smaller and smaller till it started to work.

On a really warm day in spring the midge hatches can be prolific and the trout may be keying on them.
If that stocking took place this spring, yeah a imitation of a hatchery pellet would probably work really well. (I think that is cheating a bit, but have done it. ) If the stocking was last fall and the winter was harder than usual there could be a considerable die off due to Oxygen starvation.



A bobber and worm would probably also probably work.