Thanks for the very helpful answers. Bruce, your suggestion that the large �gills are intimidating the small ones was borne out when I fed them this evening and watched for a while. Where the water shoals, the large bream were rolling in the deeper water and smaller splashes were common near the shore. Where I feed along the dam and there is little shallow water, I only see big splashes. (I almost never see the T. nilotica taking the fish food at the surface. Maybe I am not recognizing them because I do fertilize, and when I do the �Auburn hand test� my hand disappears at about 18".)
I have been feeding entirely with Aquafeed because I get it pretty cheaply at a convenient location. Their standard pellet size is smaller than it was in previous years. Minnows can only peck at it, but small bluegill seem to be able to swallow it when they can get to it. I will have to check to see if I can get some slow-sink and/or fingerling food. (I do mix in whole kernel feed corn at about 1 part in 20 or so, mainly for the Tilapia.)
Sunil, you may have a point about breeding spot availability. I have plenty of scattered shallow water coves, but the bottom is mostly mud.
Ewest, I do have a cove such as you describe where I haven�t been feeding, but I will have to give it a try. Every 5 years or so, I cut the lower limbs on the buttonwoods (essentially my only aquatic higher plants) high enough so that I can roll a fly under them when spring comes around and low enough so that there is still a challenge. This winter is time, and I will bring the brush to the middle of that cove and see what happens when I feed there next year.
Bill, I looked for "girlie men" when fishing the beds this spring and did find several, I think. I had noticed them in previous years but didn't know what they were in the past.
Again, thanks to all of you for the willingness to help, and thanks to Bob Lusk for a great magazine and a fantastic discussion site.
Lou
