One method used on large lakes for fishing improvement is to feed in only 1 or 2 protected areas (like a dock or thick cover area). The fish in that area will be better conditioned and you will find bigger LMB hanging around. You can on occasion fish those areas for big BG or big LMB.
Note "fishing improvement". This will not alleviate the issues Bill noted about whole lake population structure.
Here is an example of a 3.5 yr old 10 lb. LMB caught in such a situation limited feeding on 15 acre lake (around feeder).
Ewest, That is a healthy fish! Thanks for the info. That is a perfect example of targeted feed and habitat. I'm assuming this is what we will need to focus on and I'm going to look over my structure plan again with this in mind. I will be in open water so I will have to create the cover around the feeder. Would you put thick cover -like Christmas trees- around the feeder? Or would you suggest more open cover -like honey hole shrubs?
Snrub, I had the same thoughts as you and added one feeder last fall. Just curious to see what happened with the existing fish - GSF. I didnt get to spend much time there after loading the feeder so I didnt see the reaction. That was really feeding without a goal - aka uneducated feeding. I'm trying to change that now and really understand where, why, and when to feed to improve the fish and fishing.
In this case there was shallow water (3 ft deep) in front of the feeder near a quick drop off into deeper water. Just in front of the feeder there was thick brush/xmas trees just before the drop to deep water. About 25 feet out in the deep water there was a post with top to bottom cover tied to the post. A few xmas trees and big limb branches and some thin brush as well. On the side near the boat (grass/weeds in pic) is the dam and the feeder is about 25 feet to the left of the boat.
In this case there was shallow water (3 ft deep) in front of the feeder near a quick drop off into deeper water. Just in front of the feeder there was thick brush/xmas trees just before the drop to deep water. About 25 feet out in the deep water there was a post with top to bottom cover tied to the post. A few xmas trees and big limb branches and some thin brush as well. On the side near the boat (grass/weeds in pic) is the dam and the feeder is about 25 feet to the left of the boat.
Now THAT is good information Eric. Thanks.
Since my "RES only" pond with intentionally almost no cover (so the large RES would control the spawned population) has transitioned to a RES and SMB pond, I have been contemplating over winter what I want to do about putting in some cover now for the fry.
I feed once a day for 15 seconds on a new 1.5 acres of WE, SMB & RBT with a Texas Feeder and a pound by hand in the existing 1/2 acre LMB CC pond. It took me over 4 mos to train the older BG to pellet food. The RBT as you know are piggies. I did have great recorded RBT growth from Nov 17' put-in thru Jan '18. The RBT were 1/2# but have been ice fish harvesting them at 1.0# to 1.2#.
They all got a shot of 8,000 minnows at put in to give them all a winter boost. I'm pretty happy so far but am really looking forward to spring catches to test growth figures and restart feeding once we ice out and they are willing to eat. I agree with John, I love feeding them nearly as much as catching.
Mr. Don Northeast Ohio Newbie
NE Ohio, 2 ponds @ 1.3 @ 16' & .5 ac.@ 6'. Aeration x 6 bottom diffusors, 2 HVLP fountains, Honey Hole habitat x 35 pcs, FHM, SMB, WE, RBT, YP, BG, HBG, CC (in newer WE/SMB pond only) 2nd 1/2 ac pond LMB, CC, RSF, SMB, BCP, CBG, HBG, FHM.
I'm surprised your BG took that long to train. Although come to think of it I see mostly mid size and smaller when feeding so not actually sure my large BG are still feeding or not. The bigger ones tend to be out in deeper water where they are harder to see.
I can't wait till spring to see if I can get the SMB feeding. They were raised with feed, but stocking them so late in the season it will be at least 3 months without feed. Mr Hartly that delivered them talked like it would be no problem. Surprisingly they feed sinking feed. He said put a pile of it off shore and they would find it. He said in a short time there would be a ball of fish around it.
Hard to find high protein sinking though without special ordering it. His feed mill makes it for him. I may presoak some MVP so it will sink to get them started and transition them to floating.
John, I was surprised it took that long to train the BG too. I thought I was doing something wrong but they slowly started feeding. I bought the property with an existing pond that was never managed in any way so I didn't really know what to expect. Even then I was only able to get them to take about a pound a day in a 20 minute feeding session (1/2 acre.) I did see small to moderate sized coming up and threw food to the deep end to try to get the bigger BGs to get motivated to feed.
I also have SMB to feed that were stocked last fall @ 5 to 8". I'll pre-soak some floating high protein too and hopefully that'll do well. I've got walleye that will not likely feed train but it would be nice. Any idea if perch are top feeders for pellet food? They were put in the fall but never showed interest in the food. Maybe because they just aren't interested or it was just too cold in November when they were put in.
Mr. Don
NE Ohio, 2 ponds @ 1.3 @ 16' & .5 ac.@ 6'. Aeration x 6 bottom diffusors, 2 HVLP fountains, Honey Hole habitat x 35 pcs, FHM, SMB, WE, RBT, YP, BG, HBG, CC (in newer WE/SMB pond only) 2nd 1/2 ac pond LMB, CC, RSF, SMB, BCP, CBG, HBG, FHM.
My recreational hand feeding seems to produce different results from the norm. In the warmer months, a few of the GSF and trout come to the surface for Optimal BG. I've haven't identified any BG nor YP rising to the top. Perch that I've fileted after I've tossed pellets have full bellies of fish food. It's likely they are eating Optimal that has drifted down to them. I've yet to catch a BG with any pellets in its gut. This is after 4 years of hand feeding. The first year I fed AM 600, the next two years Skretting, and this last season Optimal. The GSF didn't start on top until I was tossing Optimal. The trout never cared what was coming their way; they ate it all. When patches of open water are available in winter, I'll throw out a small amount of Optimal. I don't see any rises; I'm hoping at least the perch are getting the sinkers. What's with my BG not eating pellets!!!?