Thank you for your knowledgeable responses!
A little more background may help clarify any future responses.
We, as a family, used to feed our catfish nothing but Southern States big strike. It worked like a charm. I am now experimenting between Southern States Big Strike and Purina Aquamax. I switched to Purina after seeing the fish spit out the feed, somewhere I read that Purina contains greater attractants that the fish will respond to. This is what led to the Purina purchase.
Right now, an automatic feeder is not economically feasible. It IS something I plan on purchasing in the future. It appears as this machine makes the most sense. I am in graduate school in Richmond, Virginia studying Environmental Planning and come back to our pond, in Nelson county, for several days every week. During these times I am home I throw out feed at least twice a day all around the same time. While I am gone, my family does the same.
As to the predation issue. I am sure that some have fallen victim to several of the very big largemouth bass in the pond. There are catfish that I stocked in the 8inch range that I am sure will survive any bass they come across. I plan on fishing for the cats at the end of September and seeing what size they are, that is if any have survived, which I am sure they have.
Basically, I have been using Southern States Big Strike and Purina Aquamax Fish Chow, yet the bluegill will eat only a few pellets then spit the rest out. No sign of any catfish coming to the surface to feed. Perhaps they are eating the waterlogged feed that eventually sinks to the bottom of the pond?
