Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Feeding question: Spread out, or all at one time?

I have a 7 - 8 acre BOW with CNBG, RES, FM, and some TP. (No LMB stocked yet, will happen soon) Three Texas Hunter feeders set for 8am and 7:30pm (synchronized) feeding times, six seconds. That's a total of 36 seconds, maybe a couple of pounds a day.

Now the fish go nuts, and all the feed is eaten in less than five minutes, except for a very small part that drifts up to shore. (I suspect this is eaten, too, after humans leave the scene.) It's like a feeding frenzy with the water boiling, a wonderful sight!

Here's my question: Given the heat of a Texas summer, I thought it might be best to shift all feeding to early morning, maybe 7 or 730am. Instead of two 6 second feedings, maybe just one 12 to 15 second feeding.

Based on what I see, even a 15 second feeding would be cleared up in 10 minutes, no problem.

One reason for the shift is that the water is cooler in the morning and I suspect the fish will bite better then than later when it gets really hot. The other reason -- and this is where the experts can help! -- is that I don't want the fish to just hang around the feeder all day. I want them to get used to one feeding time, early morning, then go back to natural feeding the rest of the time.

One giant meal, or all spread out? Which is best under summer conditions? Any advice would be appreciated!

I don't have a feeder and am ignorant to how they are designed to be used, but I have always wondered why people watch the feed get immediately devoured in 10 min or less and why they don't increase their feed amount? Wouldn't you want to feed to satiety? Feed until the feed is there but the fish aren't interested in it anymore?

Whether you feed once or twice a day, wouldn't each feeding want to be enough that some is left over and the cause is lack of fish appetite?

Canyoncreek
I cant speak for everyone but for me it is about $$$
I feed with 3 feeders set to go off twice a day for 20 seconds each time.
It costs a couple of hundred dollars a month to feed that amount.
I dont doubt I could feed the same amount 6 times a day if I wanted to spend that much money

3 times a day, and what they can consume in 5 minutes. They can eat more feeding three times a day, than what they can hold in one feeding.

Canyon, there are two reasons why most of us don't feed until satiety. One, the cost can break your budget, especially if you have a lot of eager feeders. Two, there can be serious consequences if a lot of feed gets left over to decompose, particularly in fertile BOW.

But it's the first time I've ever done this, so take my words with a grain of salt.

Once a day, by hand, amount adjusted daily per feeding response.

I feed 2 seconds three times daily. The feed disappears immediately.

I would have to sell a kidney to feed those pigs to satiation.

I think for each of us, there's things we could do better, and at times, things we do that can make things worse, which for many is the challenge we face and/or tackle . But at the end of the day, we do what we can for what $$ allows, do we we think is right based on what we learn here from others, and our own instincts and do things that challenge the norm. And with a great thread like this, allow us to see what others are doing so we can decide for ourselves what fits for us, and maybe make things better just by tweaking a few things, i.e., "what was I thinking!" (pretty common in my vocabulary).

For me personally, my pond is two acres and I could and maybe should feed in several areas of the pond. But I feed once a day, off the dock, by hand throwing anywhere from 1-3 small folgers containers of AM 600 (one container split between two feed rings) and 1-2 containers of AM LMB. Whatever they will eat or whatever I feel like feeding. I think I get more enjoyment out of watching them feed than for the purpose of growth.

Until I catch a nice fatty .

Just my $.02

For me, I tend to gage how the fish respond to the feed. It's exciting to see them boil the water, but I gain more satisfaction from seeing them slow down and leisurely pluck pellets off the surface. I figure that might mean I'm doing something right.

Well, I live an hour away from my BOW, so don't have the pleasure of seeing them feed as often as I'd like. Have to do it with feeders, but I must say I've been pleased with the Texas Hunters so far. Very reliable.

You're right, though, that hand feeding them would be ideal to monitor the situation.

I enjoy both hand feeding and watching the fish feed when the feeder goes off. A pleasure ether way Seems like I am adjusting the TH Feeder every month or so. Up and down amounts. Moved one feeder time down recently because the bigger ones are not showing up at this feeder and I am not sure why? I set a new feeding time, the feeders (3) to go off about 15 min before dark. Maybe this will turn the bigger ones back on at the one feeder. This has me stumped a little.

Tracy

It Depends !!!!


Its all about goals with supplemental feeding. Cost is a factor. Water quality should be a factor. Current population status in conjunction with your goal is a key.

Some info :

BG (all lepomis) have small stomachs. Consider feeding several times a day if BG population growth and condition is a goal.

BG have a disadvantage (they don't see as well) in low light conditions wrt their predator LMB. Feed well after day break and before dusk subject to other conditions.

Fish food sizes matter and for general whole population feeding a variety of sizes should be considered.

Depending on goals, what, if any, cover is placed at the feeding location should be considered. Thick cover aids in small BG survival while feeding. No cover aids in predation and large fish feeding.

Because fish are cold blooded their metabolism (eating)changes with water temps. Don't feed a lot when cold or very hot. Identify your species and their optimum feeding temp range and feed more during that period.

Spawning often effects supp feeding as the fish don't eat as much while on the nest and just before and after.

Each major species needs wrt feeding are different - learn about yours.

See the feeding section of the Forum for ideas.

I have a theory, and that is all it is. Definitely not based on sound science or anything like that. So it is worth exactly what you paid for it. But here it is.

If a person wants to grow trophy fish on a limited amount of feed, feed small amounts very often in designated spot(s). The reasoning is that the "aggressive pigs" in the bunch will hang around the feeder and get to the feed before any other fish can consume. So for a given amount of feed you have the growth concentrated on the most aggressive fish and limited mostly to this group of fish. A life time ago I used to raise hogs and given the opportunity a mean old sow would keep the rest of the sow hogs at bay and eat all the slop herself if she could. She would get way too fat and the others would go hungry. So we spread the troughs out so there was no way she could run every other sow off all at the same time. We did not want one big fat sow at the expense of the others but if we had wanted a trophy fat sow we would have let her hog all the feed.

If a person wants overall growth of the community of fish on a limited amount of feed, feed in the most places practical (so the feeding is spread out over a wider area) and feed the feed in a single feeding. This puts more feed out at once so as the more aggressive fish get full, the smaller ones will come in to clean up what is left. A wider group of individual fish get a chance at a bite of food.

Summary - For a given amount of total overall feed: Trophy fish - feed small amounts multiple times daily in specific location. General fish population growth and condition - feed dispersed area with feed all at one time (or fewer but longer duration if multiple times).

That is the way my minds eye sees it. But I think my mind may have cataracts so beware of my visions.

Multiple feedings per day here. Duration and frequency dictated by water temp. About 5 more degrees, and I'll start cutting back until fall when the water cools back off.

My BG are gulping air

Thanks, everybody! Lots to think about, and I will check the feeding thread too.

One thing for sure, feeding beats not feeding for total biomass. So long as I don't have lots of leftovers floating around, good things are happening.

Jack Hamilton, you are having an oxygen crash. Expect mortalities.

Dave, if jack is having an Oxygen crash? From all I have read, it sure sounds like u r dead on!! Have you ever seen where adding an outboard motor and running it in the pond has really helped in that situation? I ask, just in case I ever experience the same> Any other thoughts on what might get one through a situation like he describes? Does that kinda of stuff really help or just prolong the event?

Tracy

Yes a motor will help some. Fish will move to higher O2 level locations in the pond if they can.

I have heard of backing a tractor with attached Bush Hog style mower up to the pond and letting the blades barely touch the water while it is running. Usually the mower will be slanting down and only the rear of the mower will be down where the blades are touching. This aerates the water and will cause a current flow around the pond.

Be careful the tractor park/brake works properly or the tractor will end up in the pond. Don't run the blades too deep in the water and watch tractor to make sure it does not overheat or something.

I've never tried this except on accident while mowing around the pond. Seems like it would work though.

I saw a medium sized water wheel used on the back of a boat at a PB Convention. That was the recommended way but I wouldn't know where to get one when I needed it.

Tracy, I've heard that using the outboard with the top of the prop chopping the water will help. However, You would have to keep water going into the lower unit to keep from burning up the motor.

GENERALLY, once you see it happening, it's pretty late in the game.

I badly need to get my butt up and seine my forage pond.

+

From what I understand on this tho is you need to keep the motor IE boat motor part of the way out of the water so it makes water movement and a big ole nasty bubble situation. It doesn't take much out of the water for this to happen. I used a trolling motor on my 1 acre pond once doing this attached to the dock. Put the motor on 5 and man I was swirling and twirling the entire pond dang near. You would be surprised at what a trolling motor can do on high!! The plus about the boat motor tho is you can put gas in it and keep it running much longer of course!

Good Luck man,
RC

my goal is trophy bluegill. i feed once in the morning and 3 times in the evening. i like to put the bg to bed on a full stomach. a big glass of milk and cookies right before bed makes us fat, i figure it will do the same for them.