Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding Fish Feeders

Thought I would post my two cents worth on the feeder issue. I received my Sweeney AF1100 this week. Very easy to assemble. Had it ready to go in less than an hour. The controller is very easy to program, and the feeder works beautifully. I have a dock that sits about eight feet above the water, and I have the Sweeney placed at the edge of the dock. The feeder projects the food out in the water very well, and no food falls out on the dock.
My only previous experience with a feeder was with a Moultrie Feedcaster, and it simply could not throw the food far enough out into the water. It has a spinner to disperse the food, and there was a lot of food that wound up directly below the feeder.
My lake is located in Brunswick, Georgia, and we have had rain every day since my feeder was set up. However, there are no leaks, and the food has remained perfectly dry. I am feeding Purina Game Fish Chow.
Although I have only had the feeder a week, I am very impressed with the Sweeney and would definitely recommend them to anyone considering a feeder.

Anyone use a Lamco fish feeder?
I bought one last November. It was about $229.00 w/battery and solar panel. The same feeder that Suttle sells for $380.00.
It is terrible! Feed does not shoot 3ft and most will just dump out the bottom slot. I sold it for $150 bucks just to get rid of it. I just ordered a Stren F-25D from easttexas feeders(should have it on tuesday). Will post reviews as soon as possible

All is good with the new Stren feeder
most of the feed shoots out about 25ft.
VERY WELL MADE

Dave D, i too bought a straight shooter, attached it to the bottom of a huge galvanized metal trash can. got a tripod kit for another 39 bucks, bought 6 foot metal rods, for a total cost of about 80 bucks i have an auto feeder that holds 100 pounds of floating fish food, feeds twice a day. works pretty good for me. as far as clogging, i found that if i just shake the tripod legs once a week or so, it does just fine. i also use my tripod deer feeder during the summer for feeding fish instead of the deer. i know it throws food in a circular area, but i put it in the shallow area of the water, and attached a plastic square trash can lid to the side of it that faces the land, so the feed hits it and falls into the water, and doesn't go onto the land. so, with an approximate savings of a few hundred dollars, i have more money to put into an aerator system! (i hope my wife will accept that rationale!!) one of these days i'll break down and buy a feeder that will throw out feed like....20 times a day!!! as far as feed, i get a 50 pound bag of floating fish feed from the farm supply place for 12.50. fish seem to like it well; i can see the little fellers hanging around it about feed time. also, our little dog just goes crazy over the stuff!! i wonder if i can stop spending so much money on that Eukanuba dog food, and just feed him the fish food (any vets out there?!!)

Greg, did you ever try out the Game Country straight shooter? I have moved my Kenco straight shooter to the other side of the pond, so little is released twice a day I only have to put 50 pounds in once every three weeks.

Bill were you spying on me? :p I was on the ground in the middle of attempting to install the Game Country Directional Timer at the exact time you posted this. Problem was the attachement plate is bigger than with older timers so I have to drill bottom of the drum. I did look at it. It has 3 dip swithces ( 8 per switch) and seems better made than past DF-01B timers. BTW the first one I got in was horse traded to my ad guy and he seems very pleased with it. He says it shoots about 5-12 feet and none lands on his dock. I will see it first hand by next week and let you know what I think.

Although a good option for the price Stren is not only better but much easier to understand and install.

Greg just checked Game Country's site and they have a new timer the Tri-shooter. Is this the timer you tested and what did you think about it?

My hybrid strippers are still eating well

Bill, I think that is it. It seems to work fine for the money. I have not sold anymore. I continue to have poor customer service from Game Country. I have one of their NightHawk cameras. After 5 attempts to fix I sitll have no pictures of deer and they did not offer me, a dealer(well used to be anyway) any kinda of guranteee if I pay again to ship it to them I will have one that is working.

Stren is about to launch in the spring some new ads and I think they will pass Sweeney in the near future as the number one fish feeder.

Well guys, I've made it home in one piece !...thanks for the support you all offered while I was "over the pond" in Iraq...

Has anybody used the Remington Air Drive feeders ?...If so, what's your take

Torchy

PS, 800 Coppernosed, 400 shellcracker, 6 Lbs of fatheads are due to be stocked today ! Feel like I'm expecting another kid !

Torchy glad you made it home safely, and thanks for protecting our great country. The Remington Air Drive is made by BA products. IT is the same as the Stren, so anything you read about Stren applies. Remington is what they market for hunting industry and Stren is well you know. I have sold over 200 Stren/Remington units and their customer service is the best.

Mark; I appreciate the post about the Straight Shooter. I bought one to use during deer season with corn. Next thought was to try it for fish pellets. The thing was a total bust as a corn feeder. It stayed stopped up so much that I got disgusted and replaced it. I figure the feeder fitting flush against the exit hole in the barrel contributed to the problem. Also having a small opening and not being a spin feeder contributed to the problem. I'm going to try it with pellets in the Spring but will start out with a hanging 5 gallon bucket.

Dave, I have a 16 gallon straight shooter. Like you the price got me. It is OK at best as a fish feeder. I have not had a problem with clogging but my complaint is the maximum amout of feed released at each of the two feedings. At best you can feed about 1.5 pounds of feed a day. I have ended up buying a new Game Country feeder and using this feeder as a shore line feeder on the other side of the pond.

By the way the Bream and Hybrids are still feeding and biting, I caught 12 fat bream and 4 2-3 pound stripers yesterday

Bill did you get the new "directional" Game Country? What do you think of it?

No, it was not out when I bought the Game Country. Are you still feeding any? My bream and Hybrid Stripers are still eating a little mid day

I have shut down most of the feeders. However I was guiding a duck hunt this weekend and the water temp in south GA was 72, so I'm sure this week your fish were goign to town. Next week could be a diff story on your feeding.

Fish still feeding on January 18! I am not feeding alot, about 2 pounds a day. We have a cold week coming up so it will be interesting if they will continue.

Bill is your straight shooter still giving you clog free service? I am thinking of putting one on a small pond I have, the 1.5 to 2 lbs a day you said it dispenses is perfect for what I want to do. What brand of food do you use in it and what size?

Still working good, I feed Big Strike catfish food, not sure of the size.

Update on my Kenco Straight Shooter. The paddle that spins broke somehow after two seasons, so a bought another timer from Basspro for $40.00. It took only about 10 minutes to switch out to my 16 gallon drum. I don't know if they have improved the timer but it seems to work much better than the old one, throws farther and throws more feed.

Complaints are the same, preset to feed twice a day and a maximum of 17 seconds per feeding. But as a secondary feeder it is a good low cost feeder.

I bought a Stren AF-75 from Greg Grimes last May and it has not missed a lick. It has been trouble free. I have the Solar Design Option.

I would suggest to anyone, that you must buy quality equipment or you will continually experience problems from cheap materials and designs.

I agree...I've also purchased a Stren Aqua pro ADF75D...so far flawless operation...great unit that proves you get what you pay for...very easy to program and operate...stay out of the way when it goes off 'cause the feed comes out fast and hard and can be a hazard to eyes !, again, Great unit and I highly recommend it if you want to feed your fish...

i also bought a unit from greg grimes,it's the best thing i've done for my lake.i was handing feeding prior to this.goes off everytime and this unit has never gave me a problem.

My vote also for the Stren ADF75D.
Problem free ater a year in use.
The fish school in front of the feeder awaiting frenzy feeding time.
Shoots the feed far from shore so all get their share.

As of today I have replace two timers on my Kenco Feeder since my June 2004 post above. One a year I don't mind ($40.00) but two a year is not going to work.
In Kenco's defense they do not call their feeder a fish feeder

Yeah I got a Stren feeder from Greg last Christmas, it has not missed a lick either. Was thinking about buying the 200 lb feeder form him, but it look like I might not have a lake here soon if I sale the place......