Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding Trout Fall Feeding

I apologize in advance if this question has already been answered. It appears as though my Trout are feeding more aggressively now that fall is approaching. I've increased from 1 feeding per day to 2 feedings per day and the fish just seem to really be more aggressive now. Perhaps it's just a function of them getting bigger.

I was wondering if anyone could confirm that perhaps Trout (or fish in general) eat more to put on fat before the onset of winter (Minnesota)? If so do you have any recommendation for how much more they might need to eat? 25% 50% ??

Funny you mention it. My brook trout are doing the same. I wanted to feed them 2 X per day all summer and just didn't get much of a response. Now they are feeding 2 X per day. Water temps are the same as summer.

What species do you have? Are they fall spawning rainbows or browns? I notice some species feed heavily preceding their spawning period. This may be an adaptation of natural selection to handling the stress of spawning, when not as much feeding takes place, and of course a lof of energy is going into gonadal development.

Not sure about "getting ready for winter" but it could also be an adaptation of natural selection to store up fat reserves.

One thing you may want to consider. Your fish may be closer to the surface and to the feed now, with lower light levels. Has the water temp cooled any? Lower water temps more in their optimum metabolic range can definitely be a factor.

My brook trout are so light shy that within a half hour of sunrise they will not come up for feed. If I catch any during the day they will be down around the bottom in 7 to 9 feet of water. I never ever see them cruising the pond. However, I have a strain of brook trout that have not been very domesticated so that may be a factor. They are so shy they grab the feed and dive immediately.

I wish I could tell you what strain they are (I purchased them from Seven Pines in Wisconsin) but they are Rainbows. Many of them have recently developed a nice red stripe along the length of their bodies and are very healthy looking fish.

The water has most definetly cooled down. We actually had some frost in August and it has been staying mostly cool during the day 50 - 60 degrees.

During the heat of the summer it was diffult to get a fish to take a fly during the middle of the day, but I'd have pretty good success in the morning and evenings much like local stream fishing.

But these fish just appear to be more agressive at any point during the day now whether it is morning, the middle of a bright sunny day or in the evening. Perhaps it's just the cooler water that is allowing them to hang around the surface but I'll tell you what, it's pretty cool to see these fish literally come all of the way out of the water attacking their food.

By the way just a side note, it's been quite a challenge to find flies to keep catching and releasing these fish. One fly seems to be good for a few fish and then they catch on and won't hit anymore until I throw them something new.

Birddog, I flyfish my trout pond lots and I found the same issue with changing fly patterns. Lately I have been using a full sink line during the day with scud or leech patterns. Evenings I use floating line with backswimmer imitations, last night the hatch was on and they were nailing it on the surface. Water temps are 39 right now, but as you say they are feeding very agressively. Times running out for flyfishing here, snow forecasted for tonight.

My it's a small world. I get my browns and rainbows from Seven Pines when I get them. Seven Pine is one of the only disease free trout hatcheries in the midwest (if not the only) that provides browns and meets my states import requirements. They're beautiful browns that will get quite large for you if you feed them. I will get more if one of the excavators get their butt's over here and put in another pond before Seven Pines delivers to a local lake. I have too many Lake Nipigon brooks in the one pond to add more trout right now. I got them from northern Wisconsin too. The Redcliff tribal hatchery in Bayfield.

Your rainbows are fall spawners if you got them from Seven Pines. Your cooler temps are also definitely a factor. I grew browns to almost 12 lbs in two seasons from Seven Pines and my biggest rainbow was 9 lbs. 9 oz. Both pics are on my website. The biggest brown is on the first home page and the big rainbow is on the rainbow page where I am also holding a brown. I fed them to saciation every day.

As far as the flies not working after a few catch and releases, I have found that out growing out several species of fish, and harvesting by hook and line for my niche market. Fish do learn and are not as dumb as me make them out to be. Too get most of the trout harvested last fall we had to resort to wrapping a piece of pantyhose over a large pellet or two, tie it off, and put a salmon egg hook through the hose. This floated and was the only way to consistently get the big browns. You had to "match the hatch." It works great during the evening or morning on a fly rod.

I had no trouble feeding the rainbows and browns from Seven Pines twice a day, however, it had to be morning and evening as they did not come up the rest of the day.

My God Wood! 39 water temp already and possible snow? You must be up there a ways! It's still in the 70's and low 80's for highs down here with water temps in the warmwater pond in the 70's. We're talking northeast Indiana just south of the Michigan line.

Cecil, we did get the snow. Woke up this morning and measured 3 1/2" on the back deck. Not good, we still have a garden in, all the plants and shrubs are laying down broken. The weight of the snow has snapped huge tree limbs all over the yard. My champion sunflowers are horizontal. Heck, I still have my boat tied to the dock down at the pond. It's too early Cecil, even for here.