Pond Boss Forums FISH & FISHING Sunfish-Including Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass weird - daily feeding sunfish school and turtles

Who knew that 2 doz. sunfish and 4 turtles could be trained to show up to be fed bits of bread daily in my pond whenever I stand on a small dock. In fact sunfish leave wakes from different sections of the pond swimming toward the location when they see me walking down the hill.

Once the sunfish slap the surface competing for the bread, the turtles start swimming towards me from different areas after popping their heads up to make sure I'm there. In fact they are almost at my feet waiting to be fed trying to get something before sunfish (some that swim on their sides in even under two inches) to steal bread thrown to them. A few of the turtles will even follow me around the pond as I walk the shore.

About a doz. sunfish are stationed in that location permanently - ages 1 year to adult size - parked in parallel waiting for a tidbit no matter how small.

Strange but true is the dominance factor:
The smallest of the turtles with moss growing on its back is very territorial as it waits for bread, biting and chasing trespassers near it! Same for one pumpkinseed sunfish that chases all others competing in mass like a school of piranhas! A few small bass will occasionally swim by wondering what all the commotion is about and then swim off never bothering to attack even the 2.5" fish.

I try not to fish my lures in the pond to test them or at least not allow fish to set the hook for me. They're like pets.