Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding What kind of feed and where should I get it?

Hello I am a new guy here. I just moved into a house with a half acre pond. It was full of 10-12 bass and not much else. Today I stocked 5lbs of golden shiners and 5lbs of fathead minnows. I also put in 20 8-11 inch CC. I plan on stocking some BG for the bass and also thinning the bass population by at least 10. I am going to add 10-12 1 lb Hybrid Stripers soon.

I plan on feeding every day. Once a day

What types of feed do you recommend and where do you recommend I buy it?

Thanks for your input

The CC wont be on feed very long where you live. I would add plenty of cover for the minnows to hide in and multiply. You may wait til spring for the HSB for the forage to increase. Catch some lmb asap. The northern experts will chime in and probably rebuff my comments.

Burger is right that feeding for the year is close to over here up North. Water temps are headed down, as is the amount of food BG/CC/etc. are eating. Once water temps go below 60 degrees, surface feeding is very low; cutoff would generally come with temps somewhere in the (mid)50's.

CC and BG (not to mention the Shiners, while they last) do pretty good on supplemental food in the 32% protein range. HSB will really shine and grow well with higher protein food, 40% or higher protein. You could simplify things by just feeding higher protein food to all the fish, however, it does cost more than lower % protein feed.

There a reseveral good brands of fish food available. Purina has one advantage in that any Purina dealer (which are pretty ubiquitous all over the country) can order in the Purina feeds for you even if they don't carry them. Within the Purina line, Game Fish Chow is 32 % protein, Aquamax Carnivore (in the 500 and 600 sizes) is 40%; and the much larger Aquamax Largemouth (which HSB should love once they are big enough) is 46 % protein. I personally feed Purina's 32% and 40% feeds.

I have been adding rocks and and throwing a couple pine trees to the bottom.

MikeC I found this place in PA, not sure how far it is from you but I bet it is closer to you than to me. I would call them and inquire for comparison sake. They sent me some literature, they sell bulk too, which is a nice option.

Mellick Feed
139 S 1st St
Catawissa, PA 17820-1301

Phone: (570) 356-2522

Thanks Joe, I am gonna try and contact them

Zeigler Brothers Inc Gardners PA 717-677-6181 also manufacture good quality fish food.