Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding Fish-activated feeders

Curious as to how to use these. How long does it take for fish to figure out they can activate the feeder? Is there a process where you train them to use it? Do catfish use this as well as bluegills? Are these things effective or a novelty? Seems to me if they were real effective no one would be using electric feeders, and be done with the worries of mechanical malfunction.

Layton Runkle

Nice post, I haven't seen these, but I'm curious too. It looks like they strike a rod to release food, but I wonder if coons would tear them up. Demand feeders are a "hot" item for deer feeders, but in dense populations, they run dry quick. I love mine, it never malfunctions, and I don't spend money on batteries and timers. Sure hope someone chimes in with experience on fish.

Though not along the same lines as a bump feeder; David Reed, I believe, is using a PVC pipe with feeding holes. He swears by it. Check for his posts. David?

i've seen this ,and it looked like it worked, i was in twin falls idaho, and this guy had two huge concrete holding tanks filled with trout. he also had two feeders like you mention. they had the rods in the water and you would see the fish hit the rods and food would drop in, out of ,, if i remember correctly . .like a 20gal trashcan. well it looked like one...

chris