That brings up another issue I have thought about. If the fish are being fed plenty then wouldn't they be less likely to bite?
My newish pond definitely shows signs of "full bellies", but in an opposite direction from being feed pellets and not biting the hook. I believe that the overabundant FHM population (and other forage to a minor degree) has slowed the pellet feeding frenzy that folks talk about that have a more mature pond environment. This also accounts for the difficulty in catching them with the rod and reel. You would think that can o' worms would tear up the HBG in short order, but they are quite elusive due to their bellies being full of FHM's AND pellets. I expect the FHM population to diminish even further this year, the pellet feeding to increase, and the fishing to improve. The negative side might be that their amazing growth rate could diminish as well unless I decide to really pour the pellets to them. We'll see!
