I picked up a 40lb bag of fish feed at Rural King today for $12. After coming here and reading a bit it seems I am wasting my money. There are no markings on the bag about how much protein it contains. I was using feed from Tractor Supply which was more expensive and had the protein amount printed on the bag. However, I don't remember what it was. So, I guess my question is. The cheap feed do anything at all?

"The cheap feed do anything at all?"
Probably, but you do generally get what you pay for.

Let me go out on a limb here, looking at your address I would say that during the warm water times it would be good to feed high protein, while during the cold and hot times the lower protein would be ok. That is just my opinion and someone who really knows will answer your question.

jtruck, what kind of fish are you feeding?

If you are feeding CC, Shiners, or Grass Carp, cheap feed might suffice. If you are feeding pellet trained bass, uh-uh. In between, if I was feeding BG to grow big BG, I would want better feed. If I was feeding BG as forage fish, I would still want better feed, but not quite as good.

Feed without much or any info on what is in it disturbs me in general.

theo nailed this. Legally it has to have a label, many times this is on a carboard tag. It might have fallen off, I bet it is 32% protein. It will do soemthing for bluegill but little for trout or bass probably. Just fine as mentioned for catfish. Try to find Purina game fish chow or ask for 36% protien and while that is no gurantee should be better. Just because TSC is more $ does not make it better.

All protein isn't the same. I know of one place that sells 40% protein food dirt cheap. Actually, too cheap and I suspect the quality of the food. Chicken feathers are protein but are indigestible to fish.

Ditto with blood meal if force dried with heat.

If allowed to air dry, blood meal is very good protein for feed.

Yes DD1 very frustrating to not know for sure what is in the bag. I just go by smell and oily nature if bone dry and not fishy very little good protein in the bag.

I will check the bag again but pretty sure there was no label. I'm feeding bluegill and channel cat. I have bass but not trained to eat food. My thought on the bass was to help keep the BG population in check. At least that's what is recommended in my area. One reason I switched is due to my feeder. I had larger sized feed but it would not drop down the funnel to the spinner. So I found this smaller feed and decided to try it. My cats are sure growing so I'm doing, or have done, something right. But as someone mentioned above, I do want nice BG. Actually I want huge BG! So fun to catch and eat! I will look around and pay better attention as to what I'm feeding. Can anyone advise of a good brand found at common stores such as Rural Kind, Tractor Supply or my local FS?

Southern States brand little strike, FRM 36% fingerling or best choice for both cats and bluegill is Purina Game Fish chow.

Like Greg says, go with the Purina Game fish Chow. If the feed store doesn't stock it, ask them to order it. If they don't sell Purina products, switch feed stores.

Rural King's catfish food is 32% protein. The tag is a paper tag attached to one of the strings. Its not uncommon for it to get torn off. Best I could tell, its almost identical to Purina's gamefish chow except Purina has two sizes of pellets. I don't think Rural kings does. I've used both.

WileyC can you post what is on the Rural King tag ? Most catfish food has much more plant protein and less fish oil/meal. That makes a difference for BG , LMB and HSB but not for catfish , tilapia , GC etc (its carnivores vs. herbivores). Predator fish do better on fish meal/oil vs. and other protein sources whether its plant based like soy or blood meal or chicken feathers which are animal based.

Will try to in the next few days. I'm just about out of my gamefish chow and haven't decided what to buy next. There really isn't much difference in price so may just stick with it (Gamefish Chow). Rural King is about $3 @ 10lbs on sale and gamefish chow a few pennies more at the local Farm Bureau Co-op. (40lb vs 50lb bags)