Simply put, fish feeders provide supplemental food resources to fish. Bluegill, Channel Catfish, and hybrid Striped Bass are usually the species targeted for growth acceleration using floating fish food.
Fish feeders are valuable management tools that assist lake owners by routinely distributing a controlled amount of feed at a given time. The following article contains a description and recommended use for three types of automated fish feeders.
Fish feeder type, location, and quantity depend on your pond size and the fish species you want to feed. The most convenient aspect of any automated feeder is that you don’t have to manually feed your fish daily, the feeder will! Depending on volume and feeding regimes, feeders will typically require refills biweekly or monthly.
Maintaining a consistent feeding regime is important for fish to readily recognize and consume floating fish food. Pond King biologists recommend setting feeding times at dawn and dusk for two to three seconds. Each feeder contains a battery and timer, which powers and controls the feeder. Each feeder has an attached solar panel to keep the battery at an operational level.
Remote activation is available for all automated Pond King feeders and allows owners to set off their feeder on command.
Pond King floating feeders are made for ponds with fluctuating water levels, as it will rise and fall as necessary. Pond King floating fish feeders hold up to 100 lbs of floating fish food, which can last anywhere between two to four weeks depending on feeding regimes.
A floating feeder is ideal for ponds ranging in sizes of ½ acre or larger, other feeder options are available for smaller ponds. Varmint guards come standard on any Pond King feeder and prevent food loss due to tampering by varmints and birds.
While a floating fish feeder can provide food for any of the previously mentioned fish species, it is especially ideal for Hybrid Striped Bass because you place it in larger systems at specific locations.
This species require open water for hunting, and so a floating fish feeder in this environment will provide the supplemental food needed. Floating feeders can be positioned over structure, which is where species like Bluegill are commonly found. Floating feeders can be refilled via a rope-pulley system from the bank, or they can be filled by boat.
Bank-mounted feeders are stationary, can be placed anywhere along the bank of your pond, and are ideal for any sized pond. These feeders typically provide supplemental feed to Channel Catfish and Bluegill. Each bank-mounted feeder typically holds 40 to 100 lbs of food and throws feed upward of ten feet from the bank.
If your pond has fluctuation in water levels, a bank-mounted feeder may not be recommended. If water levels drop, food isn’t thrown far enough for fish to eat it; if water levels rise, your feeder can get submerged. Submerged feeders may result in costly repairs.
Like other feeders, the bank-mounted feeder provides entertainment in watching your fish eat the floating fish food.
A dock-mounted feeder typically provides food for Bluegill or Channel Catfish, which are commonly found around docks and other structures. Watching your fish come eat at the feeder is another bonus of the Pond King dock-mounted feeder.
Fish are creatures of habit and will congregate around your dock waiting for their next pelleted meal. This provides you with not only entertainment, but with a consistent fishing location. Wherever there is bluegill, the bass will not be far behind. Determining which fish feeder best suits your pond is the first step to increasing food for your fish. Each feeder has specific benefits to its location, so deciding which is right for your pond is important.
Feeder location can vary depending on fish within your pond, pond size, and your management goals. Pond King feeders are manufactured onsite in our facilities and are built to last.