Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding Getting fish introduced to floating fish food?

Have a lot of BG in our one acre lake. Been hand throwing out some Aquamax, but they ignore it. How do I get them eating?

Hey Bill,

I believe Snrub posted a year or two ago about having some success getting them started by throwing a kid's breakfast cereal (I think it was Fruity Pebbles) first and then mixing in pellets once they started eating.

Good Luck,

Bill D.

maybe try hydrating some so it sinks and breaks apart easier...I would think it is only a matter of time before they start on it...

What is water temp?

How long have you been throwing it? And have you been throwing it in the same place every time?

I know when I setup my feeder it took a good 3 weeks or so before they started taking to it.

RC

I am having the same problem. I stocked 45 six to eight inch CC into a 0.2 acre pond 8 feet deep on March 4. I have been throwing a handful of feed into a fixed feeding ring in about 3.5 feet of water twice daily for the last three weeks or so. No response except for fathead minnows that congregate. The larger CC in my other pond right next to it have been coming to feed regularly during that time. In a couple weeks when the next fish truck comes, I will get a few(8 or 10) 11 inch CC that have been feed trained longer, and see if they will feed train my smaller ones.

If they all died, it looks like some would have floated up. I had a few FHM die, and they floated.

The best thing you can do is be VERY consistent on the time(down to within a few minutes everyday) and location you feed. My fish feed like a group of piranhas. But if I go out and hand feed at an different time or location, feeding will be limited. I would get a feeder, even a $50 5 gallon deer feeder will be consistent for a while till they get started.

I'm retired, so I do it consistently.

I believe if you are diligent with your feeding times and geographic location, the fish will eventually feed. Originally, back in 2014, when my pond was renovated, my fish didn't feed for well over 3 weeks. I just fed (broadcast) less pellets until they started to pick it up for fear of having too much uneaten feed decomposing in the pond possibly causing oxygen issues. You can always increase the amount after the fish start picking it up.

My cc have been in for over a year and I have never seen them feed at feeder
THe BG and bass show up but no cc or blues

Are you sure any of your CC are still living? I will likely continue to stock more, a few at a time, until they come to feed. I want them to get to eating size by October.

I didn't have any trouble getting the CC I stocked in my older pond to come to feed, from the first week they were stocked.

I suspect mine possibly died shortly after stocking on March 4, and the cold water at that time didn't allow any to float up.

+1 Per Brian L. Ensure water temps are 60+, feed lower light towards dusk, same place, same time, for 2 weeks. Hydrated feed is a good option too, but recommend only once you have a few takers, otherwise you're just fertilizing the pond. If there are BG present, they should come in time. What size AM pellet? 500 is hard for BG of any size to resist.

What should we do?

Pat, an article in the current PBM suggests that cats prefer live forage over pellets. If you have an abundance of small fish forage, that may be why they don't show up for chow time at the feeder.....

Another possibility is that they are too drunk to feed from the remnants in all those Falstaff bottles you keep throwing in the puddle. You really should rinse them first!

There is almost no forage in my new pond for the 45 small CC. It just started filling in late December, and is now about 80% full. I put some cedars and brush in there for cover before/when I stocked them on March 4.

John,

You have a record of raising nice CC. IMO just keep doing what you've been doing! Those newbies will be just fine.

They have not come to feed and it has been nearly five weeks. Dead or starved?

IMO, neither one. They are just fine. I don't know the size you stocked but I suspect they are still at the size they are feeding on the small aquatic bugs, etc. or too scared to come and feed when they see you and wait for the chow to sink. Be patient.....

Six to eight inch CC were stocked. Water temp was about 50 degrees then. About 60 degrees now. Has been around 65 deg a few times for a day or two.

I agree with Bill. I think they are just fine. Here's why I say that. I have about 6 or 8 that just now begun showing up and I stocked my 100 CC back in Feb. also, they don't come every time I feed.

The 6 or 8 cc are eating machines. We had to double what we were feeding. They vacuum the feed off the surface. Those few catfish can eat a cup of feed before a cat can lick his you know what.


I had thought about adding 8 to 10 Blues, but changed my mind after some of the responses I got about them.

I stocked six to eight inch CC. 45 of them.

I agree with some being pellet hogs and some not. That's why we get some shy stunted ones and some shooters. I have one albino that I stocked in Dec 2015 as a 2 pounder. It's the worst pellet hog I have. It's now well over six pounds and can easily suck up a cup of feed in a minute or two.

I put 13 more eight inch CC into my new pond Saturday, released right by the feeding ring. Every morning and evening I throw out a little food. No show on the first ones (45) I stocked on March 4 or the latest ones. All that shows up in the feeding ring is a swarm of FHM.

What can I do to get the CC in the new pond to show up for feeding? There cannot be enough natural forage in that new 1/4 acre pond for 58 six to eight inch CC.


I put three small brush piles in the new pond when I first stocked it. Maybe the CC are in there and don't notice the feed? The pond is very clear. The feeding ring is in about 3-1/2 to four feet of water.

The two yr old CC in my other pond right next to the new pond have been feeding well on the surface for about a month.

Suggestions?

John, I think, sooner or later, that they will show up for the feed.

Water temp is the culprit is my guess. CC are a warmer water fish, I don't see any feeding until water temp is consistently above 70°F.

I don't know John, mine seem to be thriving. They are coming to feed consistently now.


Maybe in a few days they will come. Just keep throwing some out. When they do start showing up, they will darn near push everything aside. I'm pouring on the feed right now.

My cc and blues have been in the pond for a year and a half and I have never seen any come to feed. One pound BG and LMB but no catfish on the surface

You're missing out! They have a funny way of eating. They come right up nearly to my feet and suck up several pellets at a time, then make a big splash. Some of them are more sneaky by just barely poking though the FA and then back under they go

The channel catfish stocked nine weeks ago in my new 0.3 acre pond have still not shown up at the feeding ring. Over that time, I have only found three dead CC, and that was the day after stocking. There should be about 58 six to eight inch CC in the pond somewhere. The pond is still almost full and fairly clear after spilling over a little last week. Today I decided to fish for them, no bites. All that comes to the feeder ring are hordes of FHM, maybe a few very small sunfish too.

Should I keep throwing a couple of handfuls in the feed ring every evening, or am I just wasting feed on FHM?

It seems if they (CC) all died, more would have floated up. Out of probably 1,000 FHM I stocked, I have found maybe 50 dead over the nine weeks. I put three areas of brush cover into the pond, none are near the feed ring.

The CC in my other pond are much larger, and actively feed every evening.

Any ideas as to how to verify my CC are still there? Large minnow trap perhaps?

Hey John,

Have you tried fishing for them by soaking a FHM under a cork? An article in the last PBM suggests that CC will choose fish over pellets when both are in abundance. Sounds like you have an abundance of easy to catch FHM.... Might be worth a try.

Bill D.

I wasn't aware that 6 to 8" CC are fish eaters.

John,

IME, Yes 6 to 8 inch CC eat small fish. I've raised them from 4 inches in aquariums on guppies and then FHM when they hit about 8 inches. They will eat what they can get in their mouth's and instinctively prefer live food....after 9 weeks yours are probably 8 to 10.

I sense your skepticism regarding 6 to 8 inch CC eating small fish and that is cool, just giving my experience. Hopefully, one of the pros will chime in with an opinion that will be helpful to you.

Good luck. Please post back what you find out with regard to the status of your CC.

Bill D.

I'm no pro either but a catfish will eat a fish if it gets close to its mouth. lol Bill D says put them in an aquarium with small fish and turn the lite out and it won't be long and you will have less small fish than you had

There seems to be a number of crawdads in the new pond already. Maybe the CC are hunting them. Think I will walk out there tonight with a light and see if there is some CC activity in the shallows.

Edit: after throwing out some food in the dark, and waiting a bit, no activity seen. If I don't see any by fall, guess I will assume them all dead and put more in.

Update:
I caught two 8-10" CC this evening near the feed ring. Used a 1/64 oz jig with barb mashed down tipped with a yellow "Gulp Alive" waxie.
They looked to be in good shape. Got a few other strikes but no hookups. I think they are hanging out under the feed ring waiting for the food to sink.

I did not see my CC feed on the surface till the second year.

I know sinking feed is not a recomended practice on this forum, but I think with CC there is a place for it for a minority portion of the overall amount of total feed fed.

It was floating catfish pellets. The FHM work on it for several minutes, then it begins to sink. I think the little CC are too shy to feed on top. Maybe try night feeding?

Or hydrate it to get it to sink quicker.

Today I caught another of my March 2017 stocked CC. Tiny jig and barbless hook dragged slowly near the bottom in about 4 FOW near the feeding ring. This was a few minutes after feeding. The pellets had already sunk. While taking the hook out with the fish still in the water, it spat out a few pellets. I now know they are eating pellets, just not on top. This specimen was about nine inches, so about 1 to 3 inches of growth, depending on stocked size.

I guess if they will hit a jig, they will eat a small FHM.

Update: Many of the March stocked CC are actively coming to the feed ring lately. They are about 11-12 inches now.

My cc and bc have never come to the surface to feed on pellets but if I throw in shallow water they feed on sinking pellets so I presume they are eating sinking food in the deeper water. Mine are 3-5# now

That's good eating size. Better to get some of them out soon.

You are right John it's time to remove them. Water is so hot now so will wait till fall to harvest

Pat,
I hope you don't lose any due to hot water. Me, I have no choice-get some out or lose them. I am trying to keep my ten or 11 albino CC, but I keep catching and releasing some of them. I fish right before sundown when the DO is highest, and a release is more successful. When I catch a "regular" CC, it goes on ice in a big chest on the pond bank. I think you would have no problems if you had an ice chest there.

It's a flavor issue- they taste muddy when it's hot or after a rain event. We only eat them from October-about march. I've even tried to get folks to come catch some, no takers. Guess they want them cleaned .....

Yes, they want them cleaned AND filleted AND bagged on ice. Some even want them fried too.

I have not had a flavor issue at all.