Last Sunday we picked up 25 lbs of Mozambique tilapia from Overton and I asked son Jeff to turn off feeders so tilapia would not cheat and eat pellets. Since it was convenient I purchased several bags of AQMX 600 and just for fun one bag of AquaMax Largemouth.
Post251368

Yesterday while doing tractor work on the ranch it was convenient for Jeff to pick up 25 primo HSB and transport to “our” pond in N.E Texas.
http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=252121#Post252121

Long story made short. – just got a call from Jeff to report first hand full of AQMX Largemouth fish food, the bass exploded on them and the second hand full the HSB joined the party.

Made a believer out of me!!!!

When you get them fish rolling on that big food it is just incredible at feeding time watching them fly out of the water chasing after those pellets so aggresively!

Like this ?

Don't want to hijack this thread, but will bass only eat feed if trained from the fry stage? I don't guess it would be possible to get bass to start eating feed in an existing pond?

Generally they (LMB) must be feed trained from the fry/yoy stage. A few may learn in the pond but only a very small %.

If I find my catfish eating their Aqumax exciting, I'd flip seeing the LMB eating it so aggressively.

Had anyone seen bluegills and fatheads peck at the largemouth bass feed more vigorously than the regular Aquamax? Back when I had largemouths I observed this.

That's what I figured. I'll just keep feeding the Game Fish Chow to the bluegill's and catfish.

In my forage pond the small fish prefer GFC 2 to 1 over Amax.

DD1 - same result here.

CB1 - BG/CNBG like AM LMB pellets best. They will peck away until a HSB gulps it down. BG peck , peck , peck then scatter followed by a silver streak and a loud splash.

My BG push the big pellets to shore and then hammer them. My LMB are not nearly that agressive, they seem to like the 600 pellets better. They were only 13-15" last year though. I am hoping this year the bigger fish will hammer them better. Otherwise I will use 600 only after its gone

I wonder if it makes much difference if you have a LMB crowded pond?

We have access to a pond that is full of them, every cast and your hooked, I missed 2 that broke my line so there are some nice ones as well.

I think my father plans to feed the fish this year (or I am trying to convince him) and we may just find out if being hungry enough will lead them to eat the feed.

I think you might get a few to go for the pellets in crowded conditions but for the most part most of them won't.

I agree with Cecil. If they were really starving you might get more to eat pellets but the idea of starving your LMB to do that is not a good idea.

I would not starve the LMB to try to convince them to eat pellets, I was just giving a scenario that we have with a pond my father has rights to fish.

Apparently not too many people fish it anymore and I guess eating LMB is a sin. We plan to take care of that as we took 15 LMB out the other day in the range of .38-.92 pounds, and they are going to make a nice meal.

We also had a few nice HBG but they still were under weight. I hope my father decided to feed them, and I am trying to get him to stock some advanced size BG as well as some Tilapia to get the forage back up to good numbers.

Other ideas for this?

YEP, like this!!!

I suggested to son Jeff that he try to feed train our LMB and HSB with AQMX LM Nuggets on other side of pond, away from present feeder location.
Didn't have to "train" - first nugges tosssed the fish found them immediately.
Called last night to report the feeding frenzy looks like Ewest photos above.

Nugget flies - right?
HSB and feed trained LMB don't get hook-shy on AQMX 600 PH pellet flies!

I think this should be George's strategy to push some HSB pass 7# in this pond....

I've got plenty of Largemouth pellets in stock.