You're right about timing the feeding. I used to come home from a local lake with pan fish in the livewell of my bass boat that I would park parallel to the bank. Bass of different size from 1.5 - 2 lbs would line up like the sunfish waiting for me to throw in the fish that were immediately gobbled up. Usually it started with 6 bass and then 5 minutes later another 6 or 7 bass. The time was usually 5 pm and anything much before or after that time would not get a reception.

Sad they all fish died from a winterkill and had to be replaced.