I think you will find out that your fish will learn and adapt. My fish were stocked about 3 weeks ago and they are already lining the bank in the evening waiting for me to come feed them. Some seem to want to eat in 6" of water and some seem to want to eat in 4' deep water. But, I am sure if I only threw it out deeper then they would figure that out and adapt. It is either that or don't eat. I hand feed an area about 30' diameter. If the wind is blowing out I throw more closer to the bank so it will drift out. If the wind is blowing in I throw it as far out as I can get it. That is one of the benefits of hand feeding.
I'm pretty much observing exactly what you described. I love hand feeding. Mom and I spend a big portion of our day in and around the pond. My wife comes down to check on us occasionally, but she isn't as gung-ho as we are. We have chairs, shade and iced tea. What more could a person ask for.
We tend to throw the feed where the fish are. They let us know their location by boiling the water. They seem to get impatient if we don't throw the food quick enough.
