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On another thread I mentioned that I was starting to get bass coming up for pellets. Over about the past two weeks, more and more bass are coming up every evening. Tonight they ranged from about 5-6 inches, to lots of 10-12 inchers, to two monster bass that were about 18 inches.

The bluegill that are feeding range from about 5 inches to about 11 inches. The 14-18 inch catfish I put in earlier this year are there too.

I changed feed about the same time this started to happen. I started mixing a 32% protein 5/16-inch pellet with the 1/8-inch 36% protein pellets I had been using.

I don't know whether to be excited or concerned. It is great to see all the bass eating, but why have they switched over from natural forage? Lots of frogs showed up to procreate this spring/ There have been lots of pollywogs. I still see lots of last year's small bass and bluegill swimming around in the weeds.

Just another fun thing to worry about.

Ken


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I have many more LMB eating pellets this year as well, Ken. In my case, I'm sure the fact that they are crowded and skinny has a lot of influence.

There are frequently 5-6 of them following me along the bank as I walk from one end of the feeding zone to the other tossing in Aqaumax. They DEFINITELY prefer the larger 600 pellets to the smaller 500 size (I feed a mix).


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Is it rare for wild untrained bass to start eating pellets?

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All the literature says so.

I personally suspect it is much rarer in ponds managed for big bass (where there are tons of forage) than in overcrowded bass ponds managed for large bream. IMHO hungry overcrowded bass start by picking off BG at feeding time, then realize that there IS such a thing as a free lunch.

This would make an interesting paradox - in the ponds where we want big bass, they rarely learn to eat pellets. In the ponds where we want lots of skinny, hungry bass, they are more likely to self feed train. (Although they still seem to chase & eat plenty of BG.)


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 Originally Posted By: Theo Gallus
I personally suspect it is much rarer in ponds managed for big bass (where there are tons of forage) than in overcrowded bass ponds managed for large bream. IMHO hungry overcrowded bass start by picking off BG at feeding time, then realize that there IS such a thing as a free lunch.

This would make an interesting paradox - in the ponds where we want big bass, they rarely learn to eat pellets. In the ponds where we want lots of skinny, hungry bass, they are more likely to self feed train. (Although they still seem to chase & eat plenty of BG.)


I fully agree.

My concern is that my overcrowded skinny and hungry bass are going to get fat and sassy on pellets -- then quit chasing my bluegill.

Since the bass have started showing up for dinner, I'm now trying to figure out how much food to put out. I've more than doubled what I had been putting out, and every last pellet gets slurped up between the CC, the LMB, and the BG. I'm actually feeding three times over about a 45 minute period. It is usually nearly dark by the time I throw the last batch of food. I think they'd actually eat even more if I put it out or could start earlier.


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I'm loving the LMB eating feed. Once they get above my preferred predator size slot limit (12" - 15"), they become dinner table eligible. There are plenty of smaller bass waiting to take over for them.

Last edited by Theo Gallus; 06/03/08 12:49 PM.

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Another very interesting thought that backs up what experts like Lusk tell us -- fish convert food at about 2:1. This was like a "I could'a had a V-8" moment.

This year I'll again feed about 350 pounds of pellets to my fish. Based on last year, I expect that I will take out about 175 pounds (live weight) of fish. Duh! These will be for our dinner table and as gifts to friends. It will provide 50- 75 lbs. of edible meat. The feeding doesn't include all the natural forage, like tadpoles, frogs, bugs, and natural nutrients.

The harvest will include adults grown from native pond offspring and the addition of purchased trout and catfish. The trout and catfish should grow at least 50%, but hopefully 100% before harvest.

At my current average of $0.40 a pound for pellets, that comes out to about $0.80 per pound of live fish. My trout and catfish cost $1.75 each for about a 1 lb. fish from the hatchery. Add a $40 tank of gas to that for each type of fish -- $80. It takes a couple of gallons of gasoline in the riding lawnmower to trim around the pond every two weeks in the summer. It takes several gallons of diesel fuel to bushhog and do bank cleanup with the bigger tractor and backhoe.

From my calculations -- if I were selling fillets, they would have to sell for $20 - $30 per pound.

Since this is a hobby, that is fine. I can't even begin to put a price on the enjoyment from my fish and pond -- plus knowing that my fish are probably pretty healthy and safe.

It is about the same for our chickens. But, it doesn't make sense to eat my chickens. They are better off dying of old age. The eggs and fertilizer are far more important. A delicious fully cooked rotisserie chicken at Costco is $4.95. If that were my chicken, I'd have over $20 invested in it.

Cecil has it right on many fronts. We need a "rant forum." (Sorry for this long ranting post.) Secondly, if any of us should become crazy enough to ever try and raise fish commercially, they need to be sold for something other than food.

Ken


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Cat, did you remember to pay yourself something for your time in that $20-$30 per pound?


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 Originally Posted By: Theo Gallus
Cat, did you remember to pay yourself something for your time in that $20-$30 per pound?


Unfortunately, yes. That would be at minimum wage!

I guess I'm glad I got drafted in '69. It got me off the farm.


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Ken, multiply your feed bill by about five, add 4 high dollar feeders plus state of the art aeration, and I shudder the thought of how much my fish cost/lb….

Pond budget still less than wearing put three boats and five outboard motors in twenty years………

Fish are too valuable to catch only once – let alone EAT...



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I need to work out an actual estimated (how oxymoronic) cost per pound for last year's fish feed bills and # fish eaten. I shall try that tonight. I shouldn't have to WAG more than 2/3 of the figures.


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