Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Pellet Feeding LMB

I have noticed an intresting thing over the last couple of weeks. When I feed, I'm seeing YOY LMB coming up to feed on the pellets. I stocked this pond with pellet trained northern strain 2 years ago. The original LMB I stocked have all pretty much gone off the pellets in favor of live food. I have 3 other ponds and haven't noticed the off-spring of LMB go on pellets like this before.
So.... My question is this.. Has anyone else noticed this phenomenon in their ponds, or have do I have a very unique situation?

h20fwlkillr,

I haven't seen it in any of my ponds. What do you make of it, i.e. do you consider it a good thing?

Real good question for Overton.

I've seen it before but hasn't continued.

I have both smallmouth and largemouth in my pond that were not pellet trained (to small to be the ones I planted) but are feeding on the pellets. Same goes with some yellow perch. Fish sometimes learn by association.

Also the longer your bass have been domesticated (feed trained on pellets generation after generation) the more likely it is their offspring will take to pellets. Growers are seeing this with their bass.

These fish you speak of as Dave suggests may not stay on the pellets if enough live feed is available. It also may be a case of not enough live feed in the pond or they eat both.

However, I wouldn't count on there being that high of a number that learn this way. Just a few here and there unless you purposely try and train them as in a cage or in isolated area.

I agree with CB1 this is conditioned behavior and will deminish over time until only a small % eat pellets so long as ample live forage is available. It can go both directions -- if you start with no feed trained LMB a few will become conditioned -- if you start with all LMB feed conditioned over time high % will stop or greatly reduce eating pellets. Going either way over time only a small % will remain on pellets. This all changes if the situation changes and greater competition is introduced or increased by either adding or developing feed trained LMB or reducing the available live prey. The will to survive is a very strong genetic trait that will lead to greater conditioning or starvation of those who won't eat pellets, if there is not enough live prey. Called natural selection or survival of the fittest poor results are in store for those that can't adapt. If conditions remain static ,with enough live prey of all sizes available, a smaller % of each LMB year class will become conditioned to eating pellets as they revert to their genetic trait of eating live prey until only a very small % eat pellets. These comments of course assume a competitive natural envior. not an aquaculture situation where there are large numbers in a small area and high % eat mostly pellets. ewest

I think its a good thing. I should see some faster growth rates and take some of the pressure off my forage fish. For some reason my BG are having a tough time in this pond. They have low recruitment and high mortality rates. This pond is about 1 1/2 acres and I have stocked about 2000 BG in last 2 years. This year I stocked 500 5-6" BG and most have disappeared. I can't afford to keep shelling out the money on BG, so I welcome anything to help my LMB along and give a little relief to the BG.

That last sentence spoke volumes to me. If we assume the bluegill are disappearing due to heavy bass predation, we can assume your young bass will earn the same fate, whether trained to feed or not. So, in this scenario, and you have too many bass for the bluegill to thrive, it's time to remove bass. If bluegill are disappearing for other reasons, it's time to change suppliers.
Bass in a pond respond like Pavlov's dogs. Increased frequency of a proactive stimulus increases the odds of the desired reaction. At the same time, largemouth bass in a "natural" pond environment seem to always be predators, if not for any other reason than because human stimulus is sporadic, at best, in the big scheme of things. Bottom line, you will probably get a handful of bass on feed, and if their kinfolk don't eat them you will have a few bass become pets. That will be fun.