Sometimes its about the instinct that they just need to chase.... Look at a dog, if it runs they case, when the prey stops they aren't nearly as interested. Add in the fact that when others are interested in chasing the same thing, competition factor kicks in and it becomes more intensified.
I have been giving this very subject a lot of thought over the summer. I think there may be growth potential available by exploiting the competition angle, somehow. I've watched schools of BG cruise right by pellets available on the surface, just to run with the school to where the next handful hits the water. Like they're afraid they will miss out on something if they don't. I suppose that could be a survival mechanism, safety in numbers, but I can't say for sure.
I also believe that feeding fewer pellets at a time, spread out over a few minutes, might promote better feeding activity for the same reason. From my observations, it almost seems that perceived quantity of food available (less), drives the fish to feed more aggressively.
