This video is part of a series aimed at managing ponds for sport fish.

After the pond is 6-7 years old, do not overharvest so that each year you have some fish to replace the natural old age mortality. This productivity, however, can be dramatically increased through a proper fertilization program. Largemouth bass are one of the most impressive and valuable fish to keep in a farm pond. Optimal Fish Food is a game changer for lake management. It is very difficult to determine how much sinking food is being wasted. Because of the colder water temperatures, feeding response is much slower during the winter, and much of the floating food is washed upon the bank before the fish can eat it.

A pleasant surprise happened when the calibration feed was used in ponds with RES. The Optimal Signature Series offers pond managers the opportunity to work with us to develop a signature line of feed specifically designed to match their needs, goals, and management style.High Quality Pond Feed for Bluegill, Bass, and Pond FishDELIVERED DIRECTLY TO YOUR DOOR. It is a wonderful focal point for family fishing.There have been a number of interesting studies of food consumption by catfish during the winter months. This adds to the existing food supply created through natural fertility or fertilization. In a well-established and balanced pond, you shouldn't need to feed the bass. In addition to bluegill, which is the primary food for bass in ponds, other species − such as fathead minnows, golden shiners and threadfin shad − should be considered in the initial stocking. When purchasing an automatic fish feeder, don’t get the cheapest feeder at the local bargain barn. Bluegill have a small stomach and will respond much better to multiple feedings each day. If conditions are too harsh for the bluegill to feed, the sinking pellet will act as organic fertilizer and increase the production of small zooplankton and insects.Chappel says that placing structure, such as treetops or pallets, in front of the feeder will afford many of the smaller bluegill an opportunity to eat the sinking pellets while inside a refuge area.Feeding only once daily will allow you to check and fill feeders every other week. It is a place where they can learn to fish, and become excited about big bluegill attacking as many crickets as you can keep on their hooks. A reliable automatic fish feeder will feed your fish when it is raining, when you have to take the kids to the doctor or soccer practice… it never forgets. The food absolutely grown bluegill quickly, and because of its unique shape, bass redear, and crappie have been eating it. In a pond where bluegill are fed high-quality fish food pellets, harvest about 30% to 40% of the mid-size bluegill (which often amounts to 20 to 30 6-8” fish per acre per year). Do you have kids or grandkids? All rights reserved.

Because fish growth often is limited by food availability, supplemental feeding is a logical tool to improve the condition of fish in small impoundments as the energy cost for bluegill to feed on pellets is small relative to the high caloric intake, which can be 4-5 times greater than those fed natural foods (Schalles and Wissing 1976). They will find enough food for … However, since they are not totally dependent on pellets as a single food source, their weight loss may be minimal if they are not fed.”We recommend changing to a sinking catfish pellet during the winter. Dr. Jesse Chappel, an Auburn University fisheries extension specialist, says that feeding catfish during the winter is very beneficial to commercial catfish growers. Bass grow to more than 20 inches long and act as the top predators in a pond. After all, this food is supposed to be feeding 3"-6" BG. SHIPPING INCLUDED.Optimal Fish Food provides the consistency and quality I desire for my clients. If you feed multiple times a day from an automatic fish feeder and feed enough pellets that it takes the fish three to five minutes to eat it, you will fatten bluegill within the proximity of … Always purchase floating pellets. Ponds that are not fed can experience a 15% weight loss. Natural productivity, or the total pounds per acre that a lake will support, is directly related to the fertility of the soil within the lake and its watershed.