Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding Advise on feeding.

The new 4 acre pond is almost at full pool. It was stocked this spring with RES CNBG and FHM. They are starting to feed very well. My feeder is ordered. I know you feed them all they will eat in 10 minutes or so. Can someone give me the do's and don'ts on feeding? Is there a place to find this info without searching the feeding section of this forum?

Do I feed everyday?
Do I feed once a day or more often?
Mornings or evenings?
Any other advice would be great.

I'll be adding Golden Shiners in the fall and LMB and HSB next year. Thanks.

The info is scattered (I believe).

Regarding feeding, it's all dependent upon your goals. Do you want the fish to get the majority of their food from the fish feed? Do you just want to supplement their natural forage to help them grow faster? Do you want to feed to help take some pressure off of the forage base? If the latter, make sure that you stock feed trained LMB.

Feed times are up to you, but definitely feed the same time every day. I feed my fish twice a day, I start when water temps are in the lower 60°F range in the spring and stop when the water temp is about the same in the fall. I'll set the feeder to throw 1/2 hr after sunrise and 1 hr before sunset early in the year, then set the feeder to throw at 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. once those times correspond to the sunrise/sunset schedule. I leave it at that time the whole summer. If I stock trout in the pond for the winter, I will feed them until ice on, and tell my clients to do the same. I will resume feeding as soon as ice is off the pond, or I will feed all winter long at midday if I have the diffuser keeping the pond ice free during the winter. I will set the feeder to throw for only a few seconds during the winter.

Others will feed many more times per day during the summer, but at shorter intervals so the feed is eaten in less time.

Whenever I walk to the feeder, I'll open the top and throw out a handful or two of food. That way the fish get conditioned to the footsteps by the bank, and will follow me to the feeder, or follow me around the pond.

On my 3,5 acre pond I have been feeding for 7 months and some of what I have learned is determined on what your goals are with your pond. Growing forage fish for your predator's will be different feeding program over feeding for maximum growth rate and or size in a given amount of time. Feeding has been discussed recently in the active post titled summer feeding. What are your goals ?

Tracy

Trophy LMB is the goal along with HSB if that is possible. I do plan on stocking feed trained LMB. I read the thread summer feeding and learned a few things. Thanks for the responses.