Bruce, I've always thought that natural food is important to the health and growth of a fish. High protien pellet fed bass seem to have a head that is disproportionate to their body. I believe it was you that once posted something about unhealthy looking livers in high protien fed bluegills. That would seem to indicate a shortened life span and growth potential.
I once, several years ago, posted a question about how often to feed catfish. Lusk responded, I believe, that you should pellet feed no more than 5 days per week. Something about overall health and I have no idea where that post is. As usual, I have imperfect memory and could be wrong.
The monster bass in California lakes do nicely on a diet of trout. So far, nobody has been able to replicate their growth with pellets, even as a subsidy. From a conversion rate standpoint, high protien pellets work but I wonder if they give the fish the opportunity to really live long enough to become truly mammoth.
Of course, along comes Cecil with his record size perch and trout. I don't know the difference in his fish and sunfish but he ought to patent, copyright and license his methods. It ain't luck in his case.
