Jason, I'm happy that your fish appear to be growing well. However, winter, to me at least, is more than a date on the calendar. Your water temps are 51 degrees right now, during the winter. If I were to take the time to chop through the ice on my ponds, I am fairly confident that my temps are in the mid thirties...during this same time period, in the winter. HUGE difference.

That's why most here are cautious about making blanket statements, such as saying it's ok to feed all through the winter. Too many variables such as water temps, that can make a difference.

What works for one pond in one location may not be advisable for another pond, in another location.


Also, in order to have any chance of determining the effects of winter pellet feeding, you need to select a group of bluegills, weigh them, place them into a cage, feed those fish throughout the winter, then weigh the very same fish again in the spring. Within every year class of bluegills there will exist individuals that exhibit both faster, and slower growth than the general population. How do you know that the bluegills you have caught recently weren't already in the higher percentile class before winter set in? In order to be conclusive, you have to judge the effects of winter feeding on the SAME group of fish, not select samples at random.

I'm happy for you, and I admire your enthusiasm for your bluegills.... I love seeing that in other pondowners, and I feel much the same way myself. But science is more demanding than that. Keep going, keep learning, and keep growing those fish. I'm hoping to see some giants!

Last edited by sprkplug; 02/22/15 05:21 PM.
"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"

If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.