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Working with Matt last year was great for me. He even texted to stay in touch and sent a picture when my order was shipped. Stick with him. Best customer service I have ever experienced in any business.


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Welcome to PONDBOSS Optimal MATT!! Very nice user name by the way smile

Many of us are looking forward to using the optimal product. Having several locations and distribution options is good news. So far it sounds like going through a reseller like esshups store is the most reliable way to get confirmation and knowing the product will be shipped promptly with tracking. If there is a central place to order that then feeds various distribution warehouses, please let us know. It would seem shipping once from a warehouse would save money versus shipping to resellers.

Can't wait to try it myself! (first need to confirm that my RES actually made it through the first 2 winters smile

(also there has been some questions recently on content and labels. Will the new bags have product info labels with breakdown of percentage fat, protein etc?) Thanks!!

Last edited by canyoncreek; 03/18/16 09:36 AM.
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Matt's no stranger to some of us. He's a Fishery pro and a good one. Had a beer or 2 with him at PB1 in Arlington quite a while back.

Welcome back Matt.


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I've run through about 20 bags of Optimal so far and Scott @ Hoosier Ponds has been very prompt getting them to North MS for me.


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Originally Posted By: Dave Davidson1
Matt's no stranger to some of us. He's a Fishery pro and a good one. Had a beer or 2 with him at PB1 in Arlington quite a while back.

Welcome back Matt.


Pretty good ice fisherman also.


"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"

If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
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Anyone figured out how much Optimal a TH feeder throws per second? I know with the AM 500 it was 8 oz. every 6 seconds.


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Brian, it will vary with how far down the feed plate is adjusted from the bottom of the feed hopper. Further down (away) from the hopper and it will throw more food.

The correct way to measure the distance is a royal PITA. You measure from the bottom of the hopper to the bottom of the flat part of the spin plate. With the lip on the spin plate, it is very hard to measure.


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Originally Posted By: esshup
Brian, it will vary with how far down the feed plate is adjusted from the bottom of the feed hopper. Further down (away) from the hopper and it will throw more food.

The correct way to measure the distance is a royal PITA. You measure from the bottom of the hopper to the bottom of the flat part of the spin plate. With the lip on the spin plate, it is very hard to measure.


Just a FYI. I used a trash bag to catch and with Texas Hunters feeder and plate set at factory, it still threw 8oz in 6 seconds for the Optimal. Same amount/weight as the AM 500 in 6 seconds. I thought it would be less, but I still have about 25% AM500 mixed in, so not 100% sure, but will check again when all the AM500 is out.

Last edited by BrianL; 06/16/16 10:59 AM.

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I wouldn't think IF your feeder was empty....just put 2 or 3 weighed pounds in the feeder, turn it on once, then just scoop out and weigh what is left in the hopper and weigh the leftover,


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Originally Posted By: Flame
I wouldn't think IF your feeder was empty....just put 2 or 3 weighed pounds in the feeder, turn it on once, then just scoop out and weigh what is left in the hopper and weigh the leftover,


Good idea. IF there was power there, use a shop vac.....


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Gonna' dust off the soapbox this evening, so be warned. I've been feeding Optimal all year, and seeing great results. The fish have responded well, and since I find myself feeding a larger amount than I had anticipated, I ran out and had to reorder. The new product arrived this evening, and I was eager to get back into a normal routine....been out for three days.

Unfortunately, I was dismayed to discover the "old" Optimal my fish had grown accustomed too, is apparently no more? This new stuff has different sized pellets, one being absolutely huge by my standards, and one approx. the size of AQ500. What gives? Why, why do feed manufacturers keep fiddling, adjusting and tweaking? I understand the need to keep abreast and continue product enhancement, I really do. But al least continue the "old" stuff for those who don't want multiple sized pellets, partially sinking food, or a product heavy enough to be thrown by a mechanical feeder. I don't want any of that stuff....I already know what works for my fish, and the latest and greatest trend does not interest me in the least.

I also realize that producing multiple sizes of feed, like AQ does, costs money. I would gladly pay more for the product I want. Just give me the option to purchase it. As it is, my bluegills, both the hybrids and the northerns, consumed the small pellets and rejected the larger stuff. It floated up to shore. Maybe they will learn to eat it, I certainly hope so. But will the benefit obtained by feeding a great product be lessened, by having to wait a month for the fish to learn to eat it???

Rant over, sliding soapbox back under bed.


"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"

If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
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Tony, the reason for the change in feed size is that people were complaining that it didn't throw far enough when put in the automatic fish feeders. Some wanted small pellets, most wanted big pellets.

The orders didn't warrant running 10 tons of each size, so the machine was set to make all 3 sizes at the same time. So to try and address everybody's wants, all 3 sizes were put in the same bag. They will learn to eat it, give them a few days. The recipe didn't change a bit.

Talk to TJ. Convince him that smaller pellets are better. PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
wink grin

If you want another bag of the smaller stuff, let me know. I will be making a run to Arkansas next week, and swinging near Jasonville on the way back to stock some fish. I have one bag of the original size left, and was saving it to feed train some fingerling RES. Well, let me back up a bit. Originally the first run was one size and it was small - maybe .093" dia and around 1/2" long. Next run was larger, around .187" dia and 1/2" long. You know what the 3 sizes in one bag are.

BUT, I have access to some even smaller food now. wink

I'm trying to convince them to make pellets for carnivores that are barely small enough to be thrown in a TH feeder. That would be in the 8mm-9mm range. But, I need to get a 20,000# order to get them to run 'em. I DO have some 9mm LMB feed that I am waiting to try in the TH feeder. Unfortunately, it showed up at my door right after I filled it with 80# of feed........

Tony, if you want the old sized feed, I can inquire what it would cost. They have a small mill, and can do custom runs as small as 100#. But don't expect the price per pound to be anywhere near the price per pound in a 20,000# run.

Pond feed is a teeny tiny part of their business, it's geared towards aquaculture, both fresh and salt water. Many, many different recipes and sizes. I think I have 5 - 7 different recipes and sizes here. Different blends for different species and different sizes too.

Last edited by esshup; 06/30/16 08:16 PM.

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I'm willing to pay more, but I doubt I can justify the cost for a few hundred pounds of the original stuff. And I appreciate the offer on the last remaining bag of the smaller pellet, but it would only prolong the inevitable. Hopefully, they will decide to eat the new size. Hopefully.




Smaller pellets ARE sooooooo much better.....heck, maybe they can simply compress a 40 lb bag into one large pellet. Then you could just feed once every couple three weeks, and the fish would bite off what they wanted. Like cows feeding on hay in the bale ring. I know, the mechanical feeder thing again....."it doesn't throw far enough, it throws too far," "the giant pellet collapsed my feeder legs", "a sasquatch got into the feeder and stole the pellet bale", "when my feeder throws the pellet bale, the splash empties all the water out of my pond".

It's always something with the mechanical feeder guys. Real men's hands smell like fish food. grin laugh


"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"

If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
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Originally Posted By: sprkplug
I'm willing to pay more, but I doubt I can justify the cost for a few hundred pounds of the original stuff. And I appreciate the offer on the last remaining bag of the smaller pellet, but it would only prolong the inevitable. Hopefully, they will decide to eat the new size. Hopefully.




Smaller pellets ARE sooooooo much better.....heck, maybe they can simply compress a 40 lb bag into one large pellet. Then you could just feed once every couple three weeks, and the fish would bite off what they wanted. Like cows feeding on hay in the bale ring. I know, the mechanical feeder thing again....."it doesn't throw far enough, it throws too far," "the giant pellet collapsed my feeder legs", "a sasquatch got into the feeder and stole the pellet bale", "when my feeder throws the pellet bale, the splash empties all the water out of my pond".

It's always something with the mechanical feeder guys. Real men's hands smell like fish food. grin laugh



Tony, I have 4 bags of the "older" Optimal in the white, woven bags that I'd be HAPPY to let you pay extra for!!! lol Let me know and I'm sure I could meet Scott somewhere.

I'll be installing an AirMax aeration system in a pond about 2 hours west of you near Effingham, IL also if you wanted to pick some up.

Last edited by Rainman; 06/30/16 09:50 PM.


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What are the new pellet sizes? My bluegill love the bag I have but they are still small and can barely eat the size I currently have.

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Thanks Rex, I would be happy paying an additional 10-12 dollars per bag, but if there isn't a continuous supply available I'm still just postponing the eventuality. Inconsistency was the reason I switched from Purina in the first place, so it aggravates me to see it happening yet again.

I'll get over it.


"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"

If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
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Originally Posted By: Bigg E
What are the new pellet sizes? My bluegill love the bag I have but they are still small and can barely eat the size I currently have.




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Originally Posted By: esshup
Originally Posted By: Bigg E
What are the new pellet sizes? My bluegill love the bag I have but they are still small and can barely eat the size I currently have.





Thanks esshup, that looks like what I have now. The smaller BG attack the larger pellets mob style until it is small enough for one of them to swallow. They seem to always target the larger pellets first for some reason. Once the pellets soften up a bit, they have no trouble eating it. These fish were spawned in my pond and took to the Optimal pretty quick.

Last edited by Bigg E; 07/01/16 08:35 AM.
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i was the one that made the other post about the feed sinking. i started using the feed last fall and i remember it looking more like rabbit food as far as diameter. the last 2 bags were a good bit smaller in diameter and were VERY dark in color, these were the ones that sank.

i got 2 new bags in this week, opened one today and the diameter is huge as compared to the last bag. the color is very light tan and it 100% floats. i honestly didnt pay attention to the length.

last year i did not notice it had a very fishy smell and today this bag has almost no smell.

i threw a handful today as i was filling the feeder and the fish tore it up just as the did the darker small diameter food. i still use aquamax from time to time. i want to make sure my fish like that size and shape pellet also (it makes it easy to catch them on stubby steve).

i have a sweeney feeder and it throws all feed very well. i have had it since 2009 or 2010 and i have never had a single problem with it.


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Here's my experience thus far regarding the switch from last years food to this years food.... When I first started using the bag from this year my redears seemed to not like it, or at minimum slowed their eating considerably. I discussed this with Bruce and he thought I may have a hatch of some sort underway that was overwhelming my redears therefore they were showing little interest in the feed. After about 3 weeks of slow or no feeding they began feeding again and seemed to slowly increase to the point that they are now feeding more aggressively than prior. Another concern of mine was that this years batch seemed to have more feed sink upon being released from the feeder and the feed also saturated and sank more quickly. I'm guessing it was less than 5% that sank upon hitting the water, but a noticeable difference nonetheless. At first I wasn't fond of this as a bloom was underway and I couldn't see if they were hitting the sinking pellets or not. But suspected by minnow activity in the area they were not hitting the sinking pellets. That puts us up til this last few days when I've had a chance to do more observation of the feeding. They are now feeding better than they ever have (possibly d/t water temp increasing) but I'm also under the impression the seeming change in food has helped my fishery for two reasons... 1) the small number of pellets that sink seems to have enticed some fish that were too timid to come to the surface before into becoming feed trained and 2) the smaller pellets are being taken by fish too small (4-5") for the larger pellets so I am assured of future generations of pellet trained redears. Also of note, I've NEVER seen fish as obese as these redears. They were particularly large after they slowed their pellet eating for 2-3 weeks. So I'm fairly certain a massive hatch had taken place. These fish were hatched spring of 2015 and I believe average over .75 lb now with what I believe is a few around 1 lb already. Very pleased with the results from Optimal at this time.

Question for esshup.... Would feed fresh from the mill be more likely to sink than older feed? Possibly some drying taking place after I open the bag that changes buoyancy? I'm wondering if that's why some of the newer feed seems less buoyant.


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I just stopped hydrating the feed about three months ago, but went back to wetting it down again this evening. That did the trick, no more pellet rejection. Still hopeful they get used to eating it without me having to prepare it, though.


"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"

If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
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scott69, I have noticed the exact same thing with my feed. Latest order seems just like what I've received before. either way my fish in both ponds are growing and thriving at levels I've never experienced before so I cant complain. Need to start a new thread about this actually.

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Keeping in mind these fish had been fed 4 times already that day, I'm happy with their feeding on Optimal. These are 2 year old redears that are about 9-9.5" on average and over 3/4 lb. My goal is to have the larger ones averaging 1 lb. by Labor Day.



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What beautiful water! I haven't seen clarity since ice season...algae blooms all year and sketchy looking water.


Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau

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Mine looks absolutely incredible this year. But then again, after redoing mine 2 years ago, my nutrient load is minimal.

Last edited by NEDOC; 07/08/16 04:39 PM.
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