bstone fed 1200 pounds of optimal this year. So it wasn't for lack of feeding that the YOY are in poor condition. This must be a case of what happens when YOY are just too plentiful and predators too few. That size of BG isn't finding enough food because there are no predators to thin them down ... yet that is.
I doubt that.
Was bstone using a starter size feed?
Sunil, I think the smallest size the OP used was 2.2mm. I use fish food powder for BG fry and FHM. I get that from a coffee grinder, and what's left in any of the fish food bags. 2.2 mm (Optimal #2) is what I use for 1.5" to 2" fingerlings, and 1/8" until the BG can easily swallow 1/4" pellets. In my hatchery pond, my HSB and 4" and above take the 1/4" pellets. Having said all that, I feed the smaller pellets if larger BG dominate the food. When I was really working hard to grow large BG, I fed 3/8" pellets 4 times a day. 6"-7" and below BG wouldn't compete with the larger 9"-11" BG for food. Now, I hand spread 1/8" around the dock so everyone gets a chance to eat. The feeder handles the larger BG, and the smaller BG get to eat also. My point is that for the best survival success, one needs to start feeding at the bottom, and match the correct food size with the growth of the BG.
bstone261, it's not uncommon for me to pick a few dead fish out of the hatchery pond and my big pond, and that's knowing some sink and are never seen. Water temp changes, lack of access to enough food, or other stresses do kill a few fry and fingerlings. If you're losing larger BG, then I would worry a tad.
I don't remember if you already stocked LMB and HSB, but remember that if overstocked, they both hammer the bottom of the fish chain and can affect the long term forage results.
