Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding Feeders

Hey Guys,
I know this topic has litterally been beat to death. Ive went through the archives and just wanted to get some fresh answers. Im gonna be ordering 3 feeders from Greg, Im wanting to go with the Moultrie 5 or 6 gal with solar. Ive used moultrie gave cameras and have had lots of luck and when something did break it was my fault but it still got replaced. I have about $350 to spend. Should i stay away from these and buy one feeder in the $350 range. Let me know your thoughts id like to hear from some guys who actually run these to tell me about there experience. Well fellas let me know your thoughts.
Thanks always
Bluegiller

Thanks and I will holdoff on my opinion but I bet you know what it is.

please dont hold off.

Need more info on everything except Greg [I've bought all my feeders from him and price/service has always been great-he was even gracious when one check got lost in the mail {no, really, it did!}]:

1] What kind of fish are you feeding? How big are they?

2] How large is your pond?

3] How close do you live to your pond? How often will you be able to check/refill the feeder[s]?

4] What size/type of food do you plan on feeding?

5] How far do you need the feeder to throw food?

1]Im feeding already big bluegill

2]5 acre pond

3]I live about 200 ft from pond/ daily

4]purina aquamax or aquapro 500 or 600 whatever everyone suggest.

5]far as possible.

Thanks again

By all means buy the 6-gallon if you like headaches and constant frustration, and not being able to feed 600 at all, which is what you should be feeding if your bluegill are already big. If on the other hand you like machines that are dependable and well-designed, skip the barrel feeders, by Moultrie and Aquapro both, and skip Aquapro altogether as even their ADF-75 won't feed 600 unless it has been redesigned recently. I would tell you what I really think of the feeders mentioned above but that would require profanity.

I have the Moultrie Feedcaster, the "commercial-grade" feeder they make, running on one pond, and so far have had no problems with it, though another poster on here recently had the motor go out on his. At least it's a sensible design. You can buy one for what you're looking to spend, and while one feeder won't take care of every bluegill in the pond, I personally would rather have one smoothly-running, easy to fill and operate feeder running that allowed me to feed 600, than two or three that gave me constant problems, were poorly designed, didn't allow me to use 600, etc.

You can always buy one now and get a second one when you get the dough.

I have one of the 6gal Moultries as well, and my experience basically mirrors Walt's. Mine has worked well with GF chow and AM 500; it hasn't jammed, but it is sensative to moisture, and the design makes wetness more likely than with a more expensive feeder. Also, the amount of feed delivered varies between feedings even with the same settings, and the feeder will not throw 500 more than a few feet. However, if you have a place to mount it at the edge of deeper water, such as a dock, and you're feeding just 500 or GF chow, I think it's a reasonable option, especially at about 10% of the Texas Hunter price. I've never been able to get my Moultrie to reliably feed AM 600. Jams regularly.

Having said this, I agree with Walt-for your purposes, you'd be best off feeding AM 600, or even larger Silver Cup, and my AP 75 has never been able to reliably feed 600, tho some others on the forum have had better success. IMHO, save your sheckles for a Texas Hunter, then call Greg when you're ready to order.

Agree and I will add this. The newer aquapros have addressed issues with solar panels and timers so a better option than some have discussed here. Yes I still feel the TX Hunter is the best made regardless of money. The Moultrie feedcaster has had a few moisture issues fir clients and the remote control has been out. BUT we have had one on our ponds with no trouble. The other consideration is that the feedcaster throws in wider but not as far out. It is critical for this feeder to mount on point, end of dock, play wind or have fish consume food very quickly so it does not rest against shore.
Also not sure I agree with 600 comment. Do you want to grow monster bluegill? If so yes a mix of 500 and 600 is good idea. You can adjust the height on the spinner plate to accommodate the larger pellets. However if growing bluegill to grow bass GF is the best choice or pellets that are smaller. You want to grow the smaller bluegill into intermediate size and not out to grow monster bluegill.
Finally both Moultrie and Aquapro have the smaller style bucket feeders I do not list on website because they will eventually go out. However for the cost if you wanted to try one of those not a bad choice just realize what you are getting. If me and that close to the water I would have one awesome no worry feeder and hand feed in 3-4 other spots around the pond during the peak feeding times.

The 5 gallon Moultrie feeder has always worked for me. It gives me about a weeks worth of feed, so each weekend I have an excuse to head out to the mini ranch and fill it up. This next year I will be using some oil well pipe to extend it into the pond further. If fires a little to close to shore and brisk wind will push all the feed to the shore line before it gets eaten. Sometimes "wants" conflict with "reality". My reality is a $60 feeder. So, I gotta try and make it perform like a $400 feeder, which in this case is to get it out into the body of water further.

OK i guess i will go with the Moultrie Feedcaster. Whats you guys thoughts on this machine. I can get one for about the same cost and seems to be alot better built aand more reliable. Now i need a dock to mount it on lol..
Thanks Guys
Bluegiller

I can't afford a new cadillac or a new Lexus. However I can afford a Texas Hunter or Sweeney. They are the Cadillac and Lexus of fish feeders. I'd rather have one of them than a half dozen of any other. Oh, I wouldn't have time to deal with all of the problems I'd have with a half dozen "others".

Has anyone else noticed that virtually every post on this subject gets into the many, many problems people have with virtually every feeder except the Cadillac and the Lexus.

Bing

Given a choice, I'll take that dang Lexus, there pretty nice.

Anyone run these moultrie commercial feedcasters got an opinion I'd love to hear it, I'm sure there will be some kind of problems but I expect that from any maker plus it's half the price of some of the well knowns.

I have seen/heard of problems with cadillac and lexus. Just not as many as with the others.

That's what I kinda figured

My next idea, I was thinking I would feed cheap food for a while tell the fish pick up on eating from a feeder then I would switch to aquamax 500/600 mix So I don't waste the good stuff anyone got thoughts on this

In my limited experience of feeding fish (when my feeder has worked) the fish will feed on whatever food is dispersed. I'd go with what you plan to feed from the onset.

My only advice is to not fill the feeder to capacity until you're relatively sure the feeder is functional. It's a pain and costly to remove feed from full feeder, once you realize the feeder is clogged/stuck or just generally not working.

I can see your reasoning, but here's mine.

If you feed the fish something that they don't like, or something that they marginally like, they won't agressively feed. Then when you go to the better tasting food, they might be conditioned NOT to eat the pellets. It might take them longer to switch to the good food.

I also want them to grow as fast as I can get them to grow. I fed the cheap food for a couple of years because I didn't know any better. I switched to AquaMax this year and won't switch back. Luckily, I'm pretty close to the production plant so my feed store only charges right around $25.00/50# bag for the AM, where the cheap food was just under $20.00/bag. Not that big of a difference in price, and going by the quality, the AM is cheaper per pound when you figure in the nutritional value of it.

Kinda figured I'd be the only one that thought that would be a good idea. I had already thought about what both you have said. I was thinking like just a couple feeders full if cheap stuff but I'll go with AM from the start.

Bluegill: If I recall from your profile or an earlier post, you live pretty close to St. Louis. That is the home of Purina and the town and suburbs, Valley Park, etc. sourounding St. Louis has many dealers. I pay about $25.00 per bag of AquaMax in Vandalia Illinois, about 75 miles east of St. Louis. You should get at least as good a price as I do or better.

If you can't get it around St. Louis for a good price then schedule a trip to Vandalia and also come to our place. I can show you three Sweeney feeders that have NEVER had any problem what-so-ever in the entire time I have used them. I just shut the last one off this AM (feeding Rainbow Trout) because the pond has a skim of ice on it. The oldest Sweeney I have has been used daily through the feeding months for three years.

Bing

Vandalia huh I'm in mulberry grove, i figured it would be pretty cheap I drive past purinas headquarters everyday. I live up by hamel right now but I'm building a house outside of mulberry grove

check PM for my best price on the moltrie feedecaster and thanks. For the record I want to say if goal is to put on weight for bluegill to be eaten by bass then feel Game Fish Chow is best choice for the money. If wanting trophy bluegill, or feeding hybrids striped bass, other predators other than catfish then yes AM is way to go. Make sense?

Yeah makes sense, I'll just go with AM from the begining.

Follow Up:


I went with the Moultrie 30 Gal Feedcaster it seems well built. Hope i made a good descision. It will be out first thing this sprng. Thinking about doing some ice fishing anyone had any luck??

No great shakes on ice fishing yet, I've had several close friends fish my pond and they have caught bluegill. No trout caught yet.

Bing