The water in the video is clear because I quit fertilizing during the heat wave. I ran the well alot, which also accounts for the clear water. It was also cooler and oxygenated. This was more important than having fertilizer and more plant and small aquatic life starting. I'm sure fertilizer does what they say it does (start the food chain) but I never thought it helped fish more than by feeding them. I like it best because it puts a green tint to the water, which is good for fishing. I've experienced how fertilizing can really help a lake, and also how it can sometimes hurt.

I have two feeders that you can see in the video. Each is set to feed twice around 8 am, about 15 minutes apart. They are both set to feed again one time late in the afternoon. Each feeding time is for 20 seconds, so each feeder runs for one full minute every day. I'd guess that puts out 50 pounds per feeder, per week.

I'm not sure if the feeder running for 7 continuous minutes would empty out a full sack of feed or not, but it seems like it would (amount of time the feeder runs in a week). I think it is safe to say that I feed at least 50 pounds per feeder, 100 pounds per lake, per week. When I hand feed, it's probably double that. I do go through a lot of feed, but I've never seen it hurt as long as you don't feed more than they will eat in about ten minutes. Mine eat so fast that after the 20 second feed-slinging cycle is over the feed is gone in just a few seconds.

Sometimes I come home and check them and the motor has been running correctly, but the feed chute has clogged and basically nothing has been fed out for a few days. I can usually tell if this happens before I check the feeder, just by observing the fish that come flocking in and how they behave when I get to the dock.

When I hand feed, which is about half the time, I feed one full five gallon bucket at the feeder dock in the video, about 3/4 of a five gallon bucket at the other feeder dock, and the remaining 1/4 bucket at the concrete boat ramp in the back, to the right, shown in some of the videos, where a lot of small fish and fingerling hang out.

For some reason the feeder dock in this video has just always held more and bigger fish than the other one, so I feed them more there. I think that may also have started a "chicken and egg" cycle....the more fish that are there, the more feed I put out, and the more feed I put out....etc.....

If you want to really do it right, feed them all they will eat, every day.

Don AKA "Bill"

Last edited by BillLake; 08/22/12 11:37 PM.