From experience of many members here, you won't get many RES to eat pellets unless they are pellet trained as young fish (DIY) or you buy them pellet trained. RES like YP are bottom oriented fish and are inherently hesitant to rise to the surface for food items. It is not in their instinct like that of bass and BG.
Unless the YP are pellet trained when you bought them it is fairly difficult to get these close to the bottom oriented fish to rise to the surface for pellets. However pellet trained stocker YP will have a high percentage of the stockers fairly quickly find the feeding area and rise to the pellets. In a new pond setting the new YP will often follow other fish to the feeding area and respond to the pellets.
I am still working on finding the best pellet feed to promote longevity for pellet feeding perch. Many perch growers use Aquamax or Zeigler because it is readily available in the Midwest. The perch grow fast to large sizes with these feeds but they die prematurely when 5-6 years old. Common current feeds used for YP have protein around 40-42% and fat content 10%-12%. I think the fat levels are too high for long lived perch. This summer I am going to test feeding a pellet with 44% protein & 8% fat; a low fat and nutrient rich formulation designed to increase longevity
Last edited by Bill Cody; 12/01/18 09:50 PM.
