Esshup
I understand that feeding pellets is the best plan to grow bigger fish. Bigger fish truly is not my goal. I would just rather have a nice pond with average or maybe a bit better than average fish that act like wild fish.
I really don’t want the bass in the pond to eat pellets however the bg, I plan to feed with pellets. I am hoping that the protein carryover from the bg to the bass will be enough to get them a bit bigger.
When you talk economics, what are we looking at ? Is it a 50% increase in raising bg as food ,or much more? A bag of food is maybe 75.00 dollars for 50 lbs. I think that labor costs would be the biggest in the breeding process and since I am the labor, that should help. The way I am looking at it is that it will be a Spring to Fall operation on the breeding.
As Bill mentioned, I will be spending 30 to 40 K to build the pond so I guess I need to understand the numbers when it comes to raising bg and what costs that may be incurred.
I anticipate the resident bg being able to be the link in the food chain that could actually sustain the pond if I did nothing else. The ones that I am considering raising would be nothing more than extras, letting the bass have an all you can eat smorgasbord , in their house.
If there is one thing that I have learned by watching the ones in the koi pond, is that when it’s time to eat, they eat. If they don’t won’t to eat, they will watch a night crawler wiggling on the bottom and ignore it. The fish I have now have all the food they need swimming around with them. However, dump a load of new shiners, goldfish, whatever and they put the newcomers to flight. They will gorge themselves and then lay low.
This attitude is what I want to artificially encourage buy raising bg to the size suitable for them to eat and add a few dozen at random times. It won’t add the pounds that pellets will, I understand this but it will be a more natural way to add weight. At least in my way of thinking. Will it be worth it? I won’t know until I try, or don’t
I certainly love the information that keeps coming my way and please don’t think that because I offer an alternative unconditional view that I am not hearing what you all are saying. I have no less than three months before this can get serious so there’s plenty of time to kick this around.
Thank you too everyone who has offered an alternative or a suggestion.
And Bill,
Sorry for the delay between comments. I got pretty tied up with taking my dad deer hunting. Even though he turns 94 in two weeks, he was pushing me past my limits, physically. The man is my hero and I was doing everything I could to get him a good buck. Regretfully he did not get one. Luckily we have this Saturday and Sunday and then again muzzleloader season in January. I will stay tuned in for any new ideas and advice.
Thanks all
