I got up close and personal with the fish in my 18-month-old half-acre pond yesterday and was surprised to see that my LMB were voraciously attacking the floating fish food. The pond is still loaded with fatheads and golden shiners, so it's not like there's a shortage of natural food. I was glad to see it!

My HSB have been hitting it all summer.

Were the LMB feed trained when you got them?

I've also seen my LMB eating pellets, and BC too. I've caught several LMB and BC on pellets.

Are most hatchery-raised bass feed trained? If so, then mine probably were, as well. But even my two-inch bass from this spring's spawn are pushing feed around the surface.

No, I believe most hatchery raised LMB are not feed trained.

I agree with Sunil. Ask the hatchery. Many LMB are hatchery trained for pellets but nowhere near most.

It's amazing how they can appear out of nowhere and nail a piece of fish food. I'm having so much fun watching these fish, I don't know that I'll ever be able to cull them. They're like pets.

Oh sure you can. Just name them! Shore lunch, fish fry, dinner are a few names that come to mind.

Hey! You know my fish!

MoBill, I feel the same way...I sit on my dock every other day from 5-7 and hand feed my caged and pond fish. I even enjoy the fishery management more than fishing now, which I never thought would happen. Some SMB and HSB with distinctive habits/tendencies I can recognize on every trip - they are indeed just like pets. Weird how much time can pass while watching your fish feed on a nice Autumn day.

Not true in our area of the country. Most if not all ARE feed trained as it's more cost effective to produce them that way. You know -- 2 lbs. of dry feed vs. 10 lbs. of live feed?

So Bob Lusk saying where it says most largemouths are feed trained on the Aquamax bag it's not true?