Shorty -- I sure hope it works. As I recall, Theo Gallus was successful in getting his to eat pellets. I believe you were an active forum member when he was doing it. Somewhere here on the site there is probably a thread about how he did it -- but as I recall,it wasn't that different from what you've been doing.
I tried it in a cage a number of years ago. Feeding redworms, dehydrated krill, ground feed pellets, etc. It worked for several weeks, then something happened. It is long enough ago that I don't remember exactly what happened. I just remember a bunch of them died, so I let the remainder go into the pond. I believe I have a reasonable population of RES in that pond, but I'd sure like to have a lot more. I probably catch less than five a year, and they go right back in. I see them spawning each spring, so something is happening.
Good luck. Keep us posted. I'd still like to try again.
Ken
