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This the third day of sunshine after nearly two weeks of heavy cloud cover for me, so I'm hoping to see a change in the feeding soon. I'd like to be able to use up what feed I've got before it gets too cool.

Update: Today's feeding went much better!! I guess I've spoilded them with the hydrated pellets. They don't seem to like coming up for the dry feed near as much as when its been softened a bit. I think the softer food is putting off a lot more scent when it hits the water. Either way, they're eating better.

Last edited by Mike Whatley; 10/03/18 07:33 PM.

.10 surface acre pond, 10.5 foot deep. SW LA. The epitome of a mutt pond. BG, LMB, GSF, RES, BH, Warmouth, Longear Sunfish, Gambusia,Mud Minnows, Crappie, and now shiners!!...I subscribe!!
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In most years, I don't think your fish will slow down much when it comes to feeding. I am north of you and my fish will feed 365 but I have seen a couple of really cold winters here in my life but did not have a pond then and I think they might slow down during those two or three cold winters over the past 30 years. Bob Lusk said feed as long as they will eat if you want some big uns. smile


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Originally Posted By: Mike Whatley
This the third day of sunshine after nearly two weeks of heavy cloud cover for me, so I'm hoping to see a change in the feeding soon. I'd like to be able to use up what feed I've got before it gets too cool.

Update: Today's feeding went much better!! I guess I've spoilded them with the hydrated pellets. They don't seem to like coming up for the dry feed near as much as when its been softened a bit. I think the softer food is putting off a lot more scent when it hits the water. Either way, they're eating better.


Great news, Mike. I agree with Tracy that you should continue feeding so long as the fish will eat it. In your neck of the woods, that may well 365 days a year.

Gets colder up here, all the way down to 10F last winter, though that's unusual.


7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




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I did a surface temp and PH test this morning. The aerator was still running when I tossed the thermometer in, just a few feet from the boil. The areator had been running nearly 6 hrs. I hope this method gives me an idea of what the deeper depth temps are doing without going out on the boat. Anyway, the surface temp at 7:30am was still at 81*f. PH tested at 7.0 on my wide range 5 drop test kit. No sunshine to speak of today as its been raining on and off all day. (I'm wondering if I may need to expand the run time due to all this cloud cover).

Feeding today was all dry again (if you don't consider the rain), using the last batch of my 50/50 mix of Game Fish Chow and AM500. I have enough of that to probably get thru most of October, then its straight AM500 after that. They ate...but not with much enthusiasm.

Last winter was the coldest I can remember here since 1985, with temps in the 20s for a week. I have no idea how cold the water got as I wasn't really paying much attention to the pond then, due to building the house. As long as they act remotely interested in eating, I'll be throwing pellets, tho. Being able to hand feed, its easy to adjust to how they're feeding day to day.

The pond is completely full and overflowing a couple inches into my 6" drain pipe.


.10 surface acre pond, 10.5 foot deep. SW LA. The epitome of a mutt pond. BG, LMB, GSF, RES, BH, Warmouth, Longear Sunfish, Gambusia,Mud Minnows, Crappie, and now shiners!!...I subscribe!!
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I seem to remember that cold spell last year. My water temps dropped down to the low 40's at or near the surface. I just new I had lost all of my TFS. And I had a good number of them in the pond. But I discovered in June that my TFS had survived that cold snap and they are doing well and are all over the pond right now. I have no idea how they survived, must have hunkered down in the deeper pools.

Last edited by TGW1; 10/09/18 07:26 AM.

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My feeding is still way off. We haven't had any serious rains for over a week now, and most are just short showers. Surface temps are still mid 70s and ive been running the aerator intermitently as the weather permits without cooling the water, usually in the late afternoon after feeding.

A week ago, visibility was close to 36". Today its about 12" and I've got what looks like a bluegreen algae bloom. I thought that was strange with cooler temps, but remember someone saying that some algae thrive in cooler water or even under ice.

I'm thinking with the weather being so unstable, the massive influx of watershed and now this algae bloom has really knocked everything in the head. I see minnow activity out in the middle of the pond, and there appears to be ample numbers of GAMs, redtails and fry/yoy. Often seeing them fleeing an apparent attack from below. So this may be contributing to the low response to pellets.

If anyone has any other ideas, I'm all ears.


.10 surface acre pond, 10.5 foot deep. SW LA. The epitome of a mutt pond. BG, LMB, GSF, RES, BH, Warmouth, Longear Sunfish, Gambusia,Mud Minnows, Crappie, and now shiners!!...I subscribe!!
Bill D. #497707 10/19/18 07:17 PM
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Originally Posted By: Bill D.
Great info Eric! I'm looking forward to reading the article! Do you think that fish that are fed to obesity and very high Relative Weights are more susceptible to this type of stress/kill?


Studies seem to indicate that fish on natural diets (and some pelleted diets with proper lipids) are less apt to have this problem. Obese fish with to much of the wrong food could be more susceptible to winter issues.
















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I don't know how to post a new thread and this question seems close to mine. I didn't see there are any responses, but that may be me not knowing how to see them. I have a five acre pond, should be around 20 deep in the middle. Stocked 40+ yrs ago with blue gill, large mouth and channel cat. Currently too many stunted fish. I want to rehabilitate the water and fish. First problem is what I'm told is Filamentous Algae. My dad used to spread pellets of some kind and it made the plants wilt and go to the bottom which allowed us to fish from the banks without having to clean the lures after each cast. WHAT IS THE LATEST TREATMENT Y'ALL RECOMMEND? Thanks.

Papa Bear #497747 10/21/18 02:35 PM
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TP work well on FA, I've found. Also they convert useless algae into protein to feed your other fish.

Of course, they only last a season in Texas, but then the same is true of a chemical treatment.

Last edited by anthropic; 10/21/18 02:35 PM.

7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




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You'll also need to find out if tilapia are legal where you are. Here in Louisiana, especially southern, they are not allowed due to reproduction issues and the potential for escaping into the local waterways. They are allowed in most northern states as they will not survive the cold weather and need to be restocked every year.


.10 surface acre pond, 10.5 foot deep. SW LA. The epitome of a mutt pond. BG, LMB, GSF, RES, BH, Warmouth, Longear Sunfish, Gambusia,Mud Minnows, Crappie, and now shiners!!...I subscribe!!
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Mozambique TP are legal in Texas, but I think all TP are banned in Louisiana.


7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




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I am way north of you but I use copper sulfate crystals (small size) at a rate of 15 lbs. per surface acre once the water hits 48-50 degrees in the spring (usually in mid-March). Our ponds are usually good until later in May and then I re-treat (ideally every 3 weeks or so)at a rate of 7 lbs. per surface acre. Use a double burlap bag, pour the CS crystals in, tie on a rope and then drag/troll the bag around the edges of the pond. CS works great.

You can also use Cutrine Plus at a rate of 1 gallon for every 9 gallons of water. For smaller batches, the CP is 11% of the amount of water you use. I recommend also mixing in a little diquat at a rate of maybe 2% of the water you use. 1 gal = 128 ounces so do the math from there. For instance, for 3 gallons of water I mix in 42 ounces of Cutrine Plus and 4 ounces of diquat. And be sure to use surfactant at a rate of 0.5 ounces per gallon of water in each batch...makes a big difference.....and surfactant is cheap.

I always have trouble staying ahead of the FA.....lay off for just a few weeks when the water warms up (June here) and you probably have lost the battle for the rest of the season. Of course, you have to be careful during hot weather to avoid a fish kill with these chemicals. Maybe only treat 1/3 to 1/2 of the pond at a time when the weather is hot. Wait 7-10 days between treatments.

Best of luck. BM61.

Last edited by bassmaster61; 10/22/18 07:11 AM.

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I'm still really confused about why my fish have all but quit taking pellets. I've quit running aeration at night and manually run it of the afternoon, after I've tried feeding. Where I once had hundreds of BG/GSF hanging out waiting for pellets, now there are none. And only a few takers coming up. Not even the BH!! The majority of what I'm feeding now are minnows.

Air temperature today is 82 and surface temp is 80. No changes in weather for the past few days. They should be feeding hard!

Is it possible they're satisfied with all the minnow forage (there's thousands of them from 1/4 -2" long) and they've just lost interest in the pellets?

Edit:
The wife and I were talking over dinner, and I tend to agree with her observation....feeding has been greatly diminished since I installed the aeration. Is this common?

Last edited by Mike Whatley; 10/28/18 03:26 PM.

.10 surface acre pond, 10.5 foot deep. SW LA. The epitome of a mutt pond. BG, LMB, GSF, RES, BH, Warmouth, Longear Sunfish, Gambusia,Mud Minnows, Crappie, and now shiners!!...I subscribe!!
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Mike, I wonder if the aeration has opened up more of your pond for natural feeding, hence less interest in artificial. Just a guess.


7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




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It sure has me baffled. I know they're actively chasing because I see surface activity all the time, even at night. As soon as I shut the pump off today there was surface breaks at boil perimeter. There's definitely enough forage for everyone. I set one of my minnow traps today and sampled forage from 1/2" up to 2" fry. Apparently I've had a rather recent hatch with fry that small. Appeared to be both BG and GSF. Possibly one RES. It was only about 2" but appeared to have the start of that red marking on the ear tab. Really hard to tell when they're that small.

They sure don't take to pellets like they used to tho. That's kinda sad on my part. It's a hoot watching them tear it up!


.10 surface acre pond, 10.5 foot deep. SW LA. The epitome of a mutt pond. BG, LMB, GSF, RES, BH, Warmouth, Longear Sunfish, Gambusia,Mud Minnows, Crappie, and now shiners!!...I subscribe!!
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Perhaps your fish are gorging on the recently spawned YOY to the exclusion of anything else. If so, they will return to pellets when supply of forage diminishes.


7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




anthropic #498050 10/29/18 06:33 PM
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Originally Posted By: anthropic
Perhaps your fish are gorging on the recently spawned YOY to the exclusion of anything else. If so, they will return to pellets when supply of forage diminishes.


There are days, like today, when they do feed a bit better, but still nowhere near the way they used to before I installed the aeration. Surface temps would be as high as 99*, and when I walked down to feed there would be a couple hundred fish patiently waiting near the bank, and would go crazy as soon as the first few pellets landed. Today has been the warmest we've seen in weeks. Also, being my fish are all native, I think they're more tollerant and apparently more active in warmer temps. As soon as I started dropping the surface temp with aeration, they slowed down on the pellets.

Since the installation, there are hardly a dozen waiting, and none of my bigger fish. When they do feed, its very lethargic, and mostly subsurface feeding. Being the only major ongoing change, I tend to think aeration has something to do with it. With my pond's size, I think it has a more profound impact on them.

That being said, they're definitely feeding heavier on forage tho, and I've got plenty of that to go around. More now with aeration than before.

Edit: I'm on straight AM500 now, and will keep throwing it as long as their at least remotely interested. Once this batch is gone tho, as long as I'm seeing good numbers of forage, I'll likely hold off feeding pellets till next spring.

Last edited by Mike Whatley; 10/29/18 06:53 PM.

.10 surface acre pond, 10.5 foot deep. SW LA. The epitome of a mutt pond. BG, LMB, GSF, RES, BH, Warmouth, Longear Sunfish, Gambusia,Mud Minnows, Crappie, and now shiners!!...I subscribe!!
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