Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding

Who knows about fish feeds? I normally feed Silver Cup fish food but I can only buy it from my supplier 85 miles away. I stopped in a local Tractor Supply and they had Nutri Source catfish food (13.00 bucks 50 lbs) and my bass hate it. I watched them take it in then spit it out. The feed was about 1/8 to 1/4 in diameter. Purina fish food is something I can get close by also. Does anyone feed this? Hey Greg did you get my e-mail sent to your company about my feeder?

Bass won't eat fish food unless they're trained. I use Southern States Big Strike fish food. Last year was my first year feeding and the bream would eat just about anything I put out there. It seemed to me they grew more from the Southern States feed. I have caught a couple of 9" bluegills this year. I don't know of any pond that doesn't feed where you can catch 9" bluegills.

Lots of people feed Purina - 32% protein Game Fish Chow and 40% protein Aquamax X00 (in various sizes depending upon the X - the smaller X is, the smaller the size).

Do a search under Feeding or Q&O for Game Fish Chow and Aquamax.

Purina's Fish Feed website has been "under construction" forever; you can find out much more about their feed here.

I use Purina Gamefish Chow and both the BG and feed trained LMB eat it . I am now trying some -get this - Land-O-Lakes (the butter people) 36% fingerling food for some new RES and CNBG that are feed trained. Anyone heard of it or used it before.

ejrfan, your bass will probably not like the Puring Game Fish Chow (has no fish meal) but they will probably eat the Purina Aquamax 600 for carnivores (blue bag). At least the pellet eating bass in northewst OH readily eat it. Were you getting your Silver Cup from John Bechtel, Mansfield?.

Ewest, funny you mention Land-O-Lakes. T-town co-op sells this. Not much on the package about specs. or what it is for, but is a cheap catfish food. My in-laws cats love it, and at $9 per 50 lb. my father-in-law does too. Looked closely on the bag and the web site says that they bought Purina.(I believe this is why Purina's website has been 'under construction' for so long. I believe this to be true; also I know that Rangen makes game fish chow because when I went to Angleton, Tx. to get 45% fingerling food, their warehouse was stacked with pallets of it. I asked the warehouseman and he confirmed it is made there. I mixed some of the 45% dark colored and fishy smelling Rangen with the game fish chow I already had and the BG, shiners, and I believe I saw small bass devouring it. Last year they didn't eat the Land-O-Lakes nearly that good. It wasn't 36% findgerling food, though.

BM :


Thanks for the info. I got the 36% fingerling food for a good price $11 a bag based on its size and content for some new fingerlings that went in the pond yesterday behind the blocking net. I will ,as they bet bigger, mix it with Gamefish Chow until we get to all GFC.

A very interesting observation wrt this plan. When I went to set up the feeders and test them I noticed that when a few pellets of GFC floated outside the net to deeper water they were attacked. So I threw a handful outside the net and the now full grown CNBG from last years experiment and the feed trained tiger LMB all of which have been off feed since Nov. were all over the food. These 10in LMB were chasing each other around when one would grab a pellet another one would chase it to take the pellet. I am not surprised with the CNBG (except their size) but was surprised with the LMB eating like that after no feed for 4 1/2 mths. Now lets see if it keeps up.

EW, that's a greaat price for 36%. What size 3/32? Does it smell fishy? Where did you get it?
I'm embarrassed to say what I paid for the 45%, but it was 50% more than 40%. What the heck?

Very interesting about yur LMB. Pour the feed to them while you can. I wonder if LMB on a largely feed diet tastes better than natural foraging bass?

Burger,

Right you are! What do you think of the Rangen feed? It isn't cheap, but I haven't found anything that comes close to their quality.

Tyler Fish Farms(seems like I'm quoting them a lot lately) asked me about the feed I was using and when I told them Rangen, they said it was the best they have ever found. We are fortunate to be able to get it at the warehouse in this area.

I was very impressed with the feed and of course the level of freshness is a no brainer. I liked that they had all their feed samples in clear bottles so that the size, texture, color etc. could be examined. I didn't ask, but I would think they do not sell the Purina Game Fish Chow to the public. I believe Lakes of Danbury and Bieri Lakes fishing clubs use their products.

Yes, no question that Lakes of Danbury uses them exclusively....that is how I found out about Rangen in Angleton initially....and Lakes of Danbury has some awesome HSB. If you ever get the chance to be there when they are feeding them the Rangen, it is a site to behold...and not for the faint of heart.

I am getting Silver Cup from atac.cc on Wilmington Road near Cincy.

I bought some Purina Fish Chow and the fish seem to like it alright. It actual has fish meal in it(or the bag says it does). When checking the feed tag the feed from Tractor Supply has most of the same ingredients as the Purina. Going further it has the same manufacturing address as Purina only it is cheaper from TSC.

But does it have multi-size pellets for all size fish like GFC.

ewest- Are your full grown CNBG from last year and the feed trained tiger bass still taking the GFC?

PFF :

A qualified yes. The nets are up with small CNBG and some resident small BG and RES behind the net. They are feeding but are not last years fish. Just outside the net last years CNBG and the fall 6-8in. tiger bass (only a few of the bass are around) gather and eat when the feeder goes off or I throw them food. They are eating GFC and some 36% fingerling food mixed up. The bulk of the food goes behind the net but some goes outside and some floats outside. The fish outside were off feed for 3 mths Aug-Oct and on in Nov and off from Dec-Mch. But they picked back up in a few days when feeding resumed in April.

No. Only about 1/8th inch pellets.