Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding Fish Feeders

Intro: Under the topic: "Pellet Food or Minnows" the question arose about types and requirements of fish feeders. Hopefully we can provide some good info in a series of posts w/ this topic.

Preface, also see the posts under the topic: 'Manual Feeder' - for information about building home made feeders. Also see posts under heading: Types of Fish to Choose, topic Coppernose Bluegill for feeder and feed ring info. For info about fish feeds see under heading Questions & Observations, topic: what fish food

1. I know of two main brand or company name feeders: Sweeney and STREN. Various retailers handle these feeders. The companies do not sell direct to the public.

Sweeney 1-800-687-6075 or 800-443-4244. www.SweeneyFeeders.com

STREN start w/ www.aquaticeco.com Also there is a reader of the PBoss forum that handles the STREN feeders and hopefully he will add his contact info. (Note: See Greg Grimes' post below).

2. All sizes are available and hold from four lbs to over 200 lbs of feed. Many of the feeders can serve double duty as game or bird feeders during the off season.

3. Power Supply. Most are powered by an internal weather protected rechargable 6 or 12 volt battery. Some models have solar power and are more expensive.

4. Somewhere I saw in a catalog but I can't remember where, about numerous styles of timer & scatter device combos that bolt onto a bucket or barrel. This produces a mechanical feeder for a little less money. I'm now pretty sure they were in the Cabala's Master Catalog. I see they have a pretty wide selection of various styles and prices. Also try www.cabelas.com use feeder as a search word. Although the catalog has a larger selection of feeder items than the web site.

HAND FEED. I live at my pond site and I prefer to hand feed my fish. I see what the fish are eating and I only add handfulls of feed at a time as they "clean up" each handfull. I consider it fun and relaxing and often exciting when the big'uns start splashing around and throwing water all over the place. It is also fun watching their size increase during the year. I normally feed 5 to 6 days a week when ever the water temperature is 52 deg.F or above. Fish do not eat good at the surface until the temp is closer to 60 deg F.

FEEDER ADVANTAGES. 1. Pond is able to grow or support more fish and the average size is bigger fish.
2. One can keep an eye on the general overall health & condition of the fish. Often in smaller ponds you can get a good idea of the quantity of fish present esp if most eat pelleted food.
3. For some unknown reason, it's fun watching fish feed.
4. Feeding pellets is often consistantly more successful at growing more and bigger fish as compared to trying the fertilizer application method. Fertilizer application sometimes does not work too well.

FEEDER DISADVANTAGES. 1. One disadvantage to a mechanical feeder is the possibility of ducks or waterfowl hogging the feed when no one is around. 2. Feeding high protein pellets to fish introduces nutrients into the pond making it more fertile, so you will likely see additional algae/plant growth from the fish feeding. 3. Once you start feeding your fish you should not directly stop feeding. Feeding builds the fish biomass or weight present in the pond over what the pond can naturally support. All the extra fish in the pond will start losing weight and sickness or deaths may result if the outside food source is stopped. If you stop feeding, harvest quite a few fish from the pond to get the total poundage (carrying capacity) back to a "natural level".

NO FISHING. I recommend that no one fishes around the feeder/feeders despite how tempting it is to do this. Fishing near the feeder is counter productive in that it teaches the fish that danger lurks around the feeder and they are more hesitant to utilize the feeder. . You want your fish to feel non-threatened when using the feeder.

FEEDING RINGS. Sometimes a home-made floating, feed, retention ring is helpful especially when first training the fish to eat pellets. The feed ring keeps the feed in deeper water and prevents it from floating to shore where it is often uneaten to mold and/or grow algae. Feed rings can be built from PVC pipe (2" to 4") glued into rectangle or square (2'x2' upto 8'x8'). I use 1" or up to 2" dia black poly water pipe formed into a circle with a connector and caulk/tape to make it water tight. Rings can be anchored or tethered in the desired area. I prefer to put a wind baffle of vinyl siding or flashing material (4"-6" wide) that is attached like a belt to the inside of the ring using wire ties or similar material. This helps keep pellets from fish splashing them out or the wind from blowing them out of the ring.

Feeding your fish introduces you to AQUACULTURE -growing a crop of fish in water with pelletized feed. Aquaculture in the future will provide the world with a big portion of its "seafood".

Bill, here is one source of hanging type game feeders www.game-country.com. I use a 16 Gal. feeder which holds 50 to 60 pounds of feed. The feeder is mounted on a metal arm which swings out from my dock. The feeder cost $110 on sale at Bass Pro last year.

Bill, thanks for the information on the feeders. My pond is in my back yard and I would love to see the fish come up and eat. When you have a feeder ring in the deeper water, how do you get the feed out to the ring? Also, how do you implement a feeding program? Do you start with a hand full of pellets until they get used to the food? I assume that you feed the amount that the fish can eat in a certain time period? I have seen post regarding purina pellet food. Is that what you use? Thanks again.
Dave Dodd

doddbldr2 - Feed ring in deeper water is relative to your conditions. I and my fish feeding friends have docks so the ring is positioned out in front of the dock that extends out from shore. Water depth will then depend on pond bank slope and how far the ring is away from shore. By "deeper water" I meant anything away from shore 2'-4' usu. w/out a dock and 4' to 8' deep w/ a dock.

Initial Feeding. Yes, start a new feeding program with only a hand-full of pellets placed into the ring. Do not add more until all food is eaten. Feed at the same time each day. Fish mey initially eat the food after you leave and it soaks up water & softens a bit. It may take several days to a week to get the fish accustomed to associating you with food. Fish are creatures of habit and will soon learn when it is feeding time.

I personally prefer Purina Aquamax 400 (1/8"), 500 (3/16"), or 600 (1/4") for carnivours (blue-bag & 19.95/50lbs). This does a couple of things for me that the cheaper food does not do. 1. If you plan to feed canivorus fish, Aquamax (blue bag)or Trout Chow is almost a necessity. Carnivours require high protein for good health. 2. It has fish meal in it and higher protein (41% vs 32%)than cheaper Purina or Other brands of food and w/ fish meal and flavor enhancers in it, it tastes better to the fish. My experience shows more fish will learn to accept the higher protein pellets than with the cheaper feeds. Numerous bass will often learn to eat the high protein fish additive pellets. 3. Aquamax blue-bag will hold its consistancy when coated/soaked with a little water. Abt. 1/2 c water to 1 qt pellets and shaken till all water is absorbed. Allowed to stand 1-2 hr. Now the pellets can be rolled, pinched or molded into softened balls and many hesitant fish will accept this form of food. Larger pellets for big fish can be made by molding several pellets together. Small fish can eat a larger pellet that has been softened. Many fish reject the hard pellets due to texture. Soften the food, make it similar texture to other live things fish eat and now they will learn quicker and easier to eat pellets.

Many pondmeisters feed the Pruina Pond Chow (32%)because it has several sizes of pellets which is fine esp if one wants to feed several sizes of fish & does not have time to presoften the food. Plus the P. Pond Chow is less expensive. Less expensive is good if you are feeding hundreds of pounds of pellets each year. Hwever if you buy Aquamax (blue-bag) it can be bought in several sizes of pellets and then blended to your own feed size mixture.

Cody- yes here is my plug for the feeders I sell. BTW great post very informative. One other advantage not mentioned about automatic feeders. Mutiple feeding times! Bluegill can only eat a small amount at a given feeding, so more feedings per day will result in better growth, productivity for the bluegill. Also the feeders are great to fish around for kids fishing for catfish. Bill the catfish may learn a little slower b/c this one catfish with a scar has been caught probably 12 times by visiting friends and family.

Duggan- I sold the Game Country feedes for years. They are good for the money. Disadvantage is poor customer service,(hard to replace a bad timer). The main disadvatgae is difficult of setting mutiple feed times and the fact it throws in a circualar pattern. It has to be mounted on a swing gate, or over the water requiring filling by boat. I still fill up about 20 a year and as I said good for the money.

I now sell the Stren/Remington Feeder line. I went from dealer to distributor in six months b/c I have sold so many. They are easy to set, food sent out 45 feet into the water, 2 yr no questions asked warranty, etc.

You can now check them out at www.lakework.com. I have a link to the Stren site to view all options. My best seller is the ADF-75d (holds about 90 lbs of smaller pellets)that sells for $375 plus about $25 in shipping (GA) you will need a 12 volt battery $22 and I suggest the solar panel $40. We now can also take a credit card. THis price is about $200 cheaper than a Sweeney. Thanks for allowing the plug, Greg

I just bought a new feeder(timer only) today from Bass Pro Shops. Made by Kenco, its called the Straight Shooter and cost $29.99. The box says:
One-directional feeding lays a narrow band from 3 to 40 feet. Circuit Board technology. Feeds twice daily, sunrise and 1 hour before sunset. Special programming to adjust for daylight saving time, shorter days, etc. Adjustable feed amount and test button with delay.

Now, at $29.99 I don't expect perfection but I'm not risking much. My wife is already upset about the expensive timer I bought last weekend. I'm going to try it out during deer season and if it works like they say, try to rig it for fish feeding.

Has anyone else had any experience with this timer?

Dave I have had very poor results with it clogging up making it useless. I even added a funnel between it and the bucket I used hoping that having a larger hole 8 inches in the bucket would help but it didn't. I plan on adding a vertical rod on the part the spinner hits to keep the feed flowing to see if it helps. Good luck Bob

Dave, I have two timers made by, BA PRODUCTS of KERRVILLE TX. the same style you have.they work great.

I have to second Greg's endorsment of Stren/Remington feeder. I have purchased many feeders over the years, both for deer and fish, and the Stren has been super sturdy and reliable. The timer is the best, I feel, on the market. First class unit.

To All. Great input so far, just as I wished for. Other pondmeisters that feed their fish any style are welcome to join in and tell us your experiences. Maybe give reasons why you do or don't have an automatic feeder. I don't have one for the reason mentioned earlier.

Greg. That catfish that has been caught numerous times must be one of the "dumb ones". There's one in every crowd! They are by all means not all that way. Myself and many of my pond friends with smaller ponds have a real hard time catching additional catfish once one or two have been caught. The hooked fish must emit some hormone or pheromone that signals other cats to be caucious or not bite.

Greg and us other Georgia boys must grow some dumb cats, I caught about 25 cats in about two hours last saturday. Also Greg I agree with your complaint about the Game Country timer being difficult to set for times other than the two preset.

Duggan, Are your fish still eating? I fed yesterday for the last time with the cold temps moving in. The catfish ate well and actually one scared the .... out of my golden retriver getting a drink of water.

I personally do not use sinking pellets like some feed stores will tell you to do this time of year. Wonder why they tell you that??? I think most PB readers realize warm water species will feed little to none when water temps are below 55-60?

I wish you could see my South Louisiana bass feed on a 30 degree morning! Although I cut back the amount of feed in the winter, my fish, both bass and bream, are fed 365 days a year.

Greg, currently feeding with my last bag in the feeder. Will stop feeding this weekend. I hand fed last saturday(noon) and the feed floated to the other side of the pond before the fish became interested but then once a few started eating they all went at it. The cats I caught saturday were active but very cold to the touch.
What do catfish farmers due about winter feeding? Do they use sinking feed?

Just when I think I got it all figured out the new copy of Pond Boss comes out and Bob Lusk says it's OK to feed year round in the south.

DUggan, My supplier of adult chanel catfish tells me the cats (don't know about others) can not digest the food when their body temps are lowered to a point. They fed longer than I would thing usually mid to late Nov., but stop after that. My advice is just to watch the fish as you are doing. If they continue to feed, go for it. For me though I'm not charging my clients to fill up the smaller amounts over the winter so I just shut them down. Turn the duration time way back and you still can get some beneftis over the winter if you see them feeding.

have pond in east tx.i dont live there full time so i bought a sweeney feeder with solar panel with 100 pound capacity, works great and is easy to set timer. do not know if the fish have slowed eating so am going for this weekend to check things out...harvey...your right it's fun to watch em eat

Greg, have you started back feeding in any of your ponds yet. I have not but the cats were biting last saturday, caught about 10 with nightcrawlers.

Funny you should ask. I put out two feeders today and plan on setting up three tom. The nice weather makes me want to go back fishing. The bluegill starting eating right away even though they had not beeen fed since Nov. No cats seen in the one pond that has them.

I've started most of my feeders and the fish are eating. Water temps fell about 5 deg the last couple of weeks, but they're back on the rise.

I saw the channel catfish eating the food from my neighbors pond after only two days of feeding. Thought you would like to know Bill.

WELL JUST HAVE TO JUMP IN HERE FOR A MIN,I live north of the mason dixon. But have a thing that I would like to share with anybody that likes to feed your fish a more natural type of feed.It is cheap easy to install and timed to last all day and night I like the bug zapper over the feeding areas.Leave them on from dusk till dawn and they produce a floating forage that last all day.The best part is no feed to buy and getting rid of those pesky mosquitoes doesn't hurt nothing.The problem that I dont like about the pellet type feeders is the waste that goes to the bottom adds ammonia to the bottom layer of the pond.The smaller the pond the faster the level will increase.At least in the hot summer months of a pond with little fresh water comming in it can be lethal to the fish.Just sharing a few thoughts I wanted to throw out there for a little response.Gota have fun some how that red head fell asleep. DOC

Doc, have heard of these bug zappers or bug-a-matics. Do you think they add enough protein into a pond to increase the production of a pond without feeding. Also in the south we are begining to feed well before bugs are active.

In the ponds that I have to manage they work great.Iam not a big fan of feeding a target fish but try to get a balance of all fish and as long as you start with a good forage base of either fathead or gambusia minnows then they grow and mature at a natural but fast pattern.I've seen alot of pond owners that feed and the cats get so big so fast they end up out growing the rest of the fish and up here where you cant feed most ly past oct. they can almost wipe out the bass and blue gill in one winter.If a person has a pond that is for just the target fish they feed then I say go ahead and feed them all they will eat .But I don't have alot of demand for that kind of ponds. Hope this helps explain Doc

RE: Bug Zappers and free fish food.... My pond is located about 1/2 mile from the house so I do not have electrical power near it to run a bug zapper but I sure would if I could. I do have a 4 foot long zapper next to my barn and dog kennel and after seeing the amount of skeeters, moths, flies and other bugs on the ground below it I had a sheet metal tray made that hangs just below the zapper. Every day I empty the tray into a small pail and scatter the bugs off the end of my dock. The fish don't seem to mind that the bugs are not alive and kicking and they quickly scarf 'em down.
The amount of food in pounds is not great, but the smaller fish really go after them.

I also have several 16" X 16" square baskets made out of 1" wire mesh hanging on poles over the water on the back side of the pond. I take all the critters that just happen to die in my area (Woodchucks, Muskrats, Possums, Coons) cut 'em in half on a old oak stump with a machette and dump 'em in the baskets. After 3 or 4 days in June, July or August the flies have found 'em and laid their eggs and the maggots soon follow, falling thru the mesh openings to the waiting fish below. I keep a covered 5 gallon bucket in the back of my truck and have been known to pick up road kill until I fill an old freezer that I have in the barn. As soon as the weather warms up in the spring I'll start filling the baskets.

I know this method is not for everybody but it sure works for me.

Dan

Dan, if you ever want to move down south you will fit right in.

Bill I think Dan hit on the answer I was going to give about bug zappers. Sure add them if you want, but don't think it will replace the protein that will be added by a feeder. I mean how many pounds of bugs can you add, 1/4 lb. maybe??? Unless a locust colony comes by dont; take down you feeders. I have sold a few of these. They do work and help the bug problem at the sametime. Besides Bill you can get one from your favorite man, Ken (you know I have to mention him every time you post)

Thanks for the info Bill. Those feeders are expensive! I ran across a feeder called Native Feeder. Have you heard of it and/or used it? I do not want to spend a ton of money & really just want something my grandkids can enjoy when they come out.

mark I use the Stren feeder and love it - if you don't want to pay for the entire feeder (barrel, etc) if strongly suggest using the Stren (Remington) timer. I have used deer and fish feeders for years and used all brands and nothing comes close to the Remington Stren timer - digital, reliable, etc. I think they go for $70-90 but worth it. You could rig your own barrell and buy a motor and the timer and come out ahead. As far as the Stren feeder itself, it is quite a bit less expensive than Sweeny but every bit as good quality. Tim

I prefer the Sweeny over most feeders. I run a pond management company but I do not sell feeders. I prefer to make a living as a consultant not a salesman. I have heard good things about the Stren feeders as well, but I have seen coons (or some kind of scavaging animal) tear away the wires on the Stren trying to get in. The Sweeny feeder is all incased with no exposed parts or wires. It is for that reason I prefer the Sweeny.

Shan you must have seen an "old style" Stren. All wires are enclosed. It has two motors and all the food is cast into the pond near the lower spin plate, so no food for the "coons" to get to.

the feeders I saw were new or so I was told. the wires were encased with conduit. I have seen that conduit/wire covering torn away from the feeder on more than one occasion with wires destroyed. the coons seem to tear away at anything out of frustration b/c they cant get to the food. I have seen a couple dozen Sweeny feeders over the years and the only problem I have observed was a bad battery.

I have had my Stren two years and had coons all over it trying to get to feed and they have never been able to get to wires or anything else on my unit - I don't sell these things I just use them. Anyway, the Stren I use has been top of the line and I saved several hundred dollars over Sweeney

Thanks for defending Stren Tim. Shan that was the older units of which I sold about 75 and not one has had a problem with the wires inside the conduit being torn, you must have meaner coons than I. THe newer units have the lower unit inside the hopper and the wires are inside the hopper as well, this is what I have been selling since March.

Greg and Shan What fish food are you using this year and why?

I use 32 % floating catfish feed. dont notice much differecne between brand names. If I can find trout feed I prefer it but its harder to come by.

good info on Stren feeders, I did not realize they were hundereds of dollars cheaper. Like I said I'm not a salesman. I do know several guys who have had the same Sweeny for over 10 years, one for over 15. anyone out there given Stren an endurance contest?

Even in the conduit the dang coons will stretch it out and then cut the wire after a period of time. Also the fat butts sit on the sloar panels and pull then down. I finally sealed the conduit flush withb the feeder and strapped the solar panel so that even someone's fat grl friend can sit on it. Coons are bad..... boy

Reminds me of a time several years back when I had a fish feeder out in my pond floating on a dock. It was an older feeder and did not have a guard cage around where the feed would dispence - didn't think I needed one since this thing was a good 30 feet off the shore in the water. One morning I go down to refill the feeder and I can see something black and brown laying out on the dock. I get in my john boat and paddle out and as I get closer I realize it is a coon and it literally could not move. It had swum out, crawled up on the dock, and spun all of my protein feed out and eaten it. It was so bloated it was about to explode and could not move - it let me come right up to it and was trying to move to get away but couldn't move. My guess is it would have eventually died from bloating but I helped the process happen a little faster. Anyway, I bought a new feeder and put a cage over it and it never happened again. Coons are relentless.

Exposed wires on feeders are not a good thing. I have seen a few coons that figure out how to lift the lid and get inside. one of my clients was surprised by a coon that jumped out of his feeder as he tried to fill it one morning. the latch apparently closed just enough to trap him inside.

BTW - I was not suggesting that Stren made and inferior feeder and my comments were not an "attack". based on what I have seen Sweeny seems to make a more reliable, longer lasting feeder. If Stren has improved its product, great. I have no vested interest in either product and frankly could care less which one is better or more marketable. If I were feeding fish in my own pond I can assure you my feeder would never break down, unless somebody cut my right arm off.

Shan - did not feel you were attacking stren feeders - I think Sweeny is a great brand and also a good feeder - Stren has greatly improved their feeders - someone would not go wrong with either brand -

Stren has not been around long enough with their fish feeders to find out if they will last that long, but that is their plan. They want to sell a feeder the ponowner will have for 10-20 years from now. They have a 4 yr warranty, and the main reason I sell them is their customer service. Both Sweeney and Sten have a great product. If they have a problem(and there has been a few) they make them right every time no questions. I had sold a few Sweeneys a few years back. The customer service end was not as nice or quick to fix problem, although they finally did and it runs great now.

I guess the folks at Stren heard Shan and Casca complaints, since the wires are now pretty much impossible to get to on the new model.

Tim, great coon story, reminds when I saw a heron eat a 3 lb bass and it also could not move and I helped it out

Sorry Bill forgot to answer. I have used SOuther States Big Strike and LIttle Strike, Topps, some other brand, Purina Game CHow, and Aquamax. I'm convinced aquamax 600 is the best for catfish, trout and bluegill. It also is not consumed as readliy by the grass carp. BUT it is double the price. Little diff amongest the others. I now use FRM 32% protein. WHy b/c I was setup as a dealer and get a better price when I agree to ship in 8 pallets at a time.

Greg, the rain finally caught up with me. Went to my farm Saturday, and my Game Country hanging feeder was still full from the week before. When I emptied it the feed in the bottom was wet and molded, I thought the top had leaked. then when I got in the boat I saw what looked like sawdust within 2 inches of the top of the dock. When and checked the emergecy spillway water had be over it. My guess is last Sunday.

Feeder dead.

Water very muddy.

Got a Kenco straight shooter last night at Basspro. I have read mixed reviews here but could not resist the $79.00 price for a 16 gallon hanging feeder. Testing it worked, great. Will see!

Thank goodness for a well designed dam.

Bill I was talked into trying out the new directional feeder Game COuntry has out. The President wanted me back as a dealer. I will let you know how it does since you could swap it with your other timer since you have the Game COuntry barrel. It looks pretty cool and maybe an option for someone not wanting to spend the money on a Stren. In other words, folks like you.

After two weeks here is my take on the Kenco straight shooter.

The Good: the price, $79.00 for a feeder which holds 50-60 pounds of feed; so far no problem with cloging; shoots feed about 20 feet

The Bad:Does not dispence enough food at each feeding(2 to 2.5 pounds) and will only feed twice a day; holes where the cable come out of the can not sealed, some water got to the feed during a heavy rain.

Greg, I look foward to your review of the Game Country straight shooter. It is not on their web site yet.

Bill I have been so busy I have not even installed the Game COuntry straight shooter, yet. However I did have my nephew up to the pond and my Dad said the catfish and bluegill loved the superworms. Thanks for recommending them to me. I you need some let me know, I don't know what to do with 1000 of 'em.

Greg, thanks I still have enough to last the summer. If you have some they love cottonseed meal, it really fattens them up. Caught a LMB with one last saturday.

Also see if the Game Country is better about setting the timer, I think they have started using DIP switches.

Has anyone here used the All Season Feeder? I have been talking to Todd Overton about one for a while, but would like to get some independent confirmation of reliability.

It is about $375 for the 150lb model, up to 6 feedtimes a day. I am lucky to get out to my pond once every two wks, so I like the large capacity and low price. BTW, the price includes complete setup at my pond, with the solar pannel, and first bag(?) of feed.

One of clients has one, ordered it before he knew I sold feeders. He has not had trouble with it but when compared to Stren or Sweeney does not cast out nearly as far. Also the timer is more difficult to set.

Thanks for the feedback, Greg. The distance is not a problem in my case, because my dock reaches the middle of my 3/4 ac pond. The time settings are done only once in a while, so that would not be much of a problem either. But I do like to get the better quality when I can. I have to figure out exactly how much feed I will use in couple of wks, to see what I really need.

Thought I would post my two cents worth on the feeder issue. I received my Sweeney AF1100 this week. Very easy to assemble. Had it ready to go in less than an hour. The controller is very easy to program, and the feeder works beautifully. I have a dock that sits about eight feet above the water, and I have the Sweeney placed at the edge of the dock. The feeder projects the food out in the water very well, and no food falls out on the dock.
My only previous experience with a feeder was with a Moultrie Feedcaster, and it simply could not throw the food far enough out into the water. It has a spinner to disperse the food, and there was a lot of food that wound up directly below the feeder.
My lake is located in Brunswick, Georgia, and we have had rain every day since my feeder was set up. However, there are no leaks, and the food has remained perfectly dry. I am feeding Purina Game Fish Chow.
Although I have only had the feeder a week, I am very impressed with the Sweeney and would definitely recommend them to anyone considering a feeder.

Anyone use a Lamco fish feeder?
I bought one last November. It was about $229.00 w/battery and solar panel. The same feeder that Suttle sells for $380.00.
It is terrible! Feed does not shoot 3ft and most will just dump out the bottom slot. I sold it for $150 bucks just to get rid of it. I just ordered a Stren F-25D from easttexas feeders(should have it on tuesday). Will post reviews as soon as possible

All is good with the new Stren feeder
most of the feed shoots out about 25ft.
VERY WELL MADE

Dave D, i too bought a straight shooter, attached it to the bottom of a huge galvanized metal trash can. got a tripod kit for another 39 bucks, bought 6 foot metal rods, for a total cost of about 80 bucks i have an auto feeder that holds 100 pounds of floating fish food, feeds twice a day. works pretty good for me. as far as clogging, i found that if i just shake the tripod legs once a week or so, it does just fine. i also use my tripod deer feeder during the summer for feeding fish instead of the deer. i know it throws food in a circular area, but i put it in the shallow area of the water, and attached a plastic square trash can lid to the side of it that faces the land, so the feed hits it and falls into the water, and doesn't go onto the land. so, with an approximate savings of a few hundred dollars, i have more money to put into an aerator system! (i hope my wife will accept that rationale!!) one of these days i'll break down and buy a feeder that will throw out feed like....20 times a day!!! as far as feed, i get a 50 pound bag of floating fish feed from the farm supply place for 12.50. fish seem to like it well; i can see the little fellers hanging around it about feed time. also, our little dog just goes crazy over the stuff!! i wonder if i can stop spending so much money on that Eukanuba dog food, and just feed him the fish food (any vets out there?!!)

Greg, did you ever try out the Game Country straight shooter? I have moved my Kenco straight shooter to the other side of the pond, so little is released twice a day I only have to put 50 pounds in once every three weeks.

Bill were you spying on me? :p I was on the ground in the middle of attempting to install the Game Country Directional Timer at the exact time you posted this. Problem was the attachement plate is bigger than with older timers so I have to drill bottom of the drum. I did look at it. It has 3 dip swithces ( 8 per switch) and seems better made than past DF-01B timers. BTW the first one I got in was horse traded to my ad guy and he seems very pleased with it. He says it shoots about 5-12 feet and none lands on his dock. I will see it first hand by next week and let you know what I think.

Although a good option for the price Stren is not only better but much easier to understand and install.

Greg just checked Game Country's site and they have a new timer the Tri-shooter. Is this the timer you tested and what did you think about it?

My hybrid strippers are still eating well

Bill, I think that is it. It seems to work fine for the money. I have not sold anymore. I continue to have poor customer service from Game Country. I have one of their NightHawk cameras. After 5 attempts to fix I sitll have no pictures of deer and they did not offer me, a dealer(well used to be anyway) any kinda of guranteee if I pay again to ship it to them I will have one that is working.

Stren is about to launch in the spring some new ads and I think they will pass Sweeney in the near future as the number one fish feeder.

Well guys, I've made it home in one piece !...thanks for the support you all offered while I was "over the pond" in Iraq...

Has anybody used the Remington Air Drive feeders ?...If so, what's your take

Torchy

PS, 800 Coppernosed, 400 shellcracker, 6 Lbs of fatheads are due to be stocked today ! Feel like I'm expecting another kid !

Torchy glad you made it home safely, and thanks for protecting our great country. The Remington Air Drive is made by BA products. IT is the same as the Stren, so anything you read about Stren applies. Remington is what they market for hunting industry and Stren is well you know. I have sold over 200 Stren/Remington units and their customer service is the best.

Mark; I appreciate the post about the Straight Shooter. I bought one to use during deer season with corn. Next thought was to try it for fish pellets. The thing was a total bust as a corn feeder. It stayed stopped up so much that I got disgusted and replaced it. I figure the feeder fitting flush against the exit hole in the barrel contributed to the problem. Also having a small opening and not being a spin feeder contributed to the problem. I'm going to try it with pellets in the Spring but will start out with a hanging 5 gallon bucket.

Dave, I have a 16 gallon straight shooter. Like you the price got me. It is OK at best as a fish feeder. I have not had a problem with clogging but my complaint is the maximum amout of feed released at each of the two feedings. At best you can feed about 1.5 pounds of feed a day. I have ended up buying a new Game Country feeder and using this feeder as a shore line feeder on the other side of the pond.

By the way the Bream and Hybrids are still feeding and biting, I caught 12 fat bream and 4 2-3 pound stripers yesterday

Bill did you get the new "directional" Game Country? What do you think of it?

No, it was not out when I bought the Game Country. Are you still feeding any? My bream and Hybrid Stripers are still eating a little mid day

I have shut down most of the feeders. However I was guiding a duck hunt this weekend and the water temp in south GA was 72, so I'm sure this week your fish were goign to town. Next week could be a diff story on your feeding.

Fish still feeding on January 18! I am not feeding alot, about 2 pounds a day. We have a cold week coming up so it will be interesting if they will continue.

Bill is your straight shooter still giving you clog free service? I am thinking of putting one on a small pond I have, the 1.5 to 2 lbs a day you said it dispenses is perfect for what I want to do. What brand of food do you use in it and what size?

Still working good, I feed Big Strike catfish food, not sure of the size.

Update on my Kenco Straight Shooter. The paddle that spins broke somehow after two seasons, so a bought another timer from Basspro for $40.00. It took only about 10 minutes to switch out to my 16 gallon drum. I don't know if they have improved the timer but it seems to work much better than the old one, throws farther and throws more feed.

Complaints are the same, preset to feed twice a day and a maximum of 17 seconds per feeding. But as a secondary feeder it is a good low cost feeder.

I bought a Stren AF-75 from Greg Grimes last May and it has not missed a lick. It has been trouble free. I have the Solar Design Option.

I would suggest to anyone, that you must buy quality equipment or you will continually experience problems from cheap materials and designs.

I agree...I've also purchased a Stren Aqua pro ADF75D...so far flawless operation...great unit that proves you get what you pay for...very easy to program and operate...stay out of the way when it goes off 'cause the feed comes out fast and hard and can be a hazard to eyes !, again, Great unit and I highly recommend it if you want to feed your fish...

i also bought a unit from greg grimes,it's the best thing i've done for my lake.i was handing feeding prior to this.goes off everytime and this unit has never gave me a problem.

My vote also for the Stren ADF75D.
Problem free ater a year in use.
The fish school in front of the feeder awaiting frenzy feeding time.
Shoots the feed far from shore so all get their share.

As of today I have replace two timers on my Kenco Feeder since my June 2004 post above. One a year I don't mind ($40.00) but two a year is not going to work.
In Kenco's defense they do not call their feeder a fish feeder

Yeah I got a Stren feeder from Greg last Christmas, it has not missed a lick either. Was thinking about buying the 200 lb feeder form him, but it look like I might not have a lake here soon if I sale the place......

Tom, I noticed that you are in Lafayette. I wanted to let you know that there is a Sweeney Dealer located in the area. Also anyone needing Sweeney or AquaPro feeders can contact us via the website:

(Lusk deleted the contact information...sending the 'don't solicit here' email)

thanks,

Daniel