I have found over the four years my pond has been active that the feeding aggression is directly tied to the water temperature. The warmer the water, the more active the feeding. Also my Bluegill tend to wait until the pellets soften up a bit before they can swallow them. You will notice as the water warms, the Bluegill will inhale a pellet. only to expel. As the pellets soften, the fish retain the feed. My water temps in middle Tennessee are too cold for any feeding activity right now so I have shut off the feeder until spring.