Bill, didn't you also put worms in a blender and use that in feed training?
I hand chopped the worms for getting the RES used to eating food that I was dropping in the water column. When I saw the RES eating the worms, then I blended chopped worms into the softened pellets using fewer and fewer worms as the RES started eating the pellets. It won't take very many days for the RES to be eating the worm pieces. It takes time and patience to do all this extra effort but it works pretty good. If the pond has a lot of snails, they could be collected, crushed and blended into the softened pellets. Another item to blend into the soft pellets could be clam based bouillon. I have added fish base bouillon in the water for pellet softening.
The other pellet training method that Bruce Condello and I have used is the Mazuri brand fish starter feed. 56% protein high nutrition powder for making into a gel.
https://mazuri.com/products/mazuri-aquatic-gel-diet-for-carnivorous-fishThe Mazuri brand fish starter meal that I have it comes as a powder, you mix it with water and make a gelatin like fish food. Cut the gelatin into bite size pieces. Back in 2014 Bruce Condello says - "The small RES went directly from Mazuri powder to Aquamax 200. Today they started hammering the 300.. My YOY redear are going ape-nut over the Mazuri Gel-Feed."
I think the Mazuri powder can be mixed into already softened fish pellets or for pacing into the water for softening fish pellets..
