Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding Summer heat feeding

I have an 1.5 acre pond, constructed last summer, stocked with 800 CNBG, 200 Redear, 100 feed- trained LMB, and 10# FHM, and vertex aeration... Began feeding this spring after stocking the feed-trained LMB with great results, from both BG and LMB, but during the last month the action has been nonexistent, with the exception of a noticeably huge increase in the FHM population. They are the only thing touching the feed.
I'm new to managing a pond and just wondering if I could get some advice on steps I should take to correct any problems, or simply ease my mind that this is typical behavior during the hottest weeks of the summer.

I've had good luck with adding some kind of structure around the feeders. If the feeder is in a part of the pond that doesn't naturally hold fish, they may not stay in that area.

The fact that the FHM are the only thing feeding tells me there are no predators threatening them, and CNBG and LMB are predators.

Also, the heat may have something to do with it. My feedings have slowed down also as the temp has hit 100+.

Hope this helps.

Are you feeding over deep water?

I'm with Fireishot above on adding structure close to the feeders for the fish to hang out.
Sounds like a great pond,tell us more about it-depth, structure?

The pond is 8-10 feet at its deepest, I feed over 4-6 feet of water that has submerged Christmas trees and PVC porcupines. I've fed over this area exclusively since May of this year with great results. In July I installed the aerator and started it as recommended, increasing the running time daily. On day 2, there were A few BG that appeared to be stressed like low dissolved O2, and this was early in the morning. I decided to go slow with the aerator only running it for 4 hours a day for a few weeks, but a week later I had a small fish kill. Found 300 BG dead, no bass. Temps were 100+ in southwest Arkansas during this time. At this point I began running the aerator 24 hours per day, and have had no further fish kills... But they haven't fed, there are no signs of bass, and the FHM minnow population has boomed... There are huge schools that are feeding.

DO is lowest right around sunup.

Has the temps cooled down any and have the fish resumed feeding? What size fish were stocked, and what size and brand food are you using? If they still aren't showing up, and it's cooled off some, (take a water temp reading) you might have lost most of the fish, or they are getting filled up on the natural forage in the pond.

If the fish are large enough to be caught on a hook and line, try catching a few. If not, is there any way you can run a seine has mesh small enough to capture the stocked fish thru part of the pond?

When the fish were feeding, were both the LMB and BG feeding?

BG were 3-4 inch fingerlings, bass were 2 inch fingerlings... Water and air temps have cooled in the last 2 weeks, along with some much needed rain... Both species were feeding at the peak of the action... It may be the natural forage. I just noticed a huge boom in FHM a few weeks ago, which seems to coincide with the decrease in feeder action. There's just no top water action to speak of that would indicate predators chasing the minnows... I am feeding sportmans choice trophy fish feed, and that's the only brand I've used.