Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding Feeding In Winter

M question is “how do I feed during the winter when the pond is covered with ice?” I expect that the Michigan crowd has dealt with this before.

My little pond project is going well, I think. You all will remember that I put 10 doz. 3-4 inch shiners, 17 4-5 inch yellow perch, and 8 adult pumpkinseeds in a 1/3 acre pond back in June. Yesterday, I added 6 doz. Crayfish. Does anyone think I should add more crayfish?

I have also been feeding with a floating food I got at the local farmers market. I think its 34% protein. The pellet is a round ¼ inch in diameter. My original idea was that the sunfish and shiners might take it. Well, they don't show any interest.

On the other hand, the pond is absolutely full of ½ inch to 1 inch fry. I believe that the shiners have spawned successfully and I had 3 beds with the sunfish. In any case, I have fry that definitely look like shiners and fry to look like sunfish. Most of these little guys are delighted to nibble away at the fish food. I think shiner fry are most inclined to take the pellets.

I want these little guys to remain familiar with fish food so they will grow quickly next summer have a big spawn. I intend to introduce 4 to 6 young largemouth bass at the end of next summer.

So as forage, I've got

a. Big tadpole population in the spring.
b. Crayfish.
c. Golden Shiners
d. The offspring of 5 pumpkinseeds and 3 red-breasted sunfish.
e. Yellow perch I don't think they spawned this year, may have been too young.

I have been considering not introducing bass and see how the yellow perch do at the top of the food chain. Any thoughts given the specifics I've detailed. Remember this pond is in southern/central Maine.

I look forward to everyones comments.

Just a side note. I went out to the local Farmer's Union at lunch (I commute 35 mile one way) to see what kind of fish food they offered for sale. Turns out they have Aquamax 500. Its a 3/16 round pellet. The other I've been using is Blue Seal and at large size pellet. This Aquamax is a high protein for trout, yellow perch, etc. It also seem to crush easily. I think I'll mash a cup today and see how the little guys like it.

It's my understanding that you stop feeding the fish when the water temp falls below 60 degrees and start up again in the spring when the water temp. hits 60.

Flatlander - If your fish have been fed all fall & accumulated a good layer of fat, you do not have to feed during ice cover. In the north I feed until they quit eating in the late fall. This is usu when the water temp drops below 50 to 48 deg. F. I start feeding again in the spring when the water reaches 48-50.

Once the water gets below 55 deg the amount of feed eaten is a lot less (50-70%) and I only feed two or three times a week usu on the nicest days and the water has warmed a bit. In the spring active feeding at the surf does not begin until 54-58 deg. but they will eat some sinking feed at 46-50 deg at least for bass, bgill and perch. Full ration feeding occurs usu around 60-68 deg. Thus this is why most sources say start feeding at 60 deg.

I regularly overwinter fat fish in a cage under ice all winter with no feeding (Dec to mid Apr). They are always in good shape in the spring providing they have a good fat layer going into winter; this is paramount. I also keep snow away from around the edges of the cage for sunlight penetration so algae on & around the cage makes oxygen.

Flatlander-- I usually cut down on the amount of feed the 1st. of September and stop feeding completely on the 15th. when I hang up the fishing rods for the season. Deer season takes up 100% of my spare time. I'll start feeding again in the spring after ice out and the water temp is above 60 degrees.

Bill- Question on the fish cage under the ice. Why?? How many fish do you keep in the cage and what kind?

Thanks,
Dan

Dan - Fish cage under the ice? Ans. To get second year's growth. Number of fish in the cage varies on what I'm doing and which species I'm raising. I've raised all kinds of fish in cages over the years; LMB, SMB, yellow perch, trout, bgill, hyb bgill, pumpkinseed sunfish, green sunfish, redear sunfish, catfish,
hyb striped bass, bullheads, shiners, crappies.

Thanks for the replies. By the way, the fry really like the Aqua Max. I was throwing it out by hand from a plastic dog dish. The dogs wanted it as well. It has a really rank fish odor. I washed my hands and could still smell it. Does the company use ground up fish parts?

One day years ago, Dad and I drove down to the Morganza spillway. It's a Hydroelectric dam on the Mississippi River about 40 miles down the river from Vidalia La./ Natchez Ms. Below the dam, the guys would back their pickups off it the water till the tailgate was only about a foot out of the water. They'd then stand in the back of their truck and use these big dip nets (dipping with the current) to catch, mostly shad, but anything really. They'd dip and dump into the back of the pickup. They guys where filling up their truck in short order. I always assumed these fish went into cat food. Has anyone else seen anything like that?