Feed the Bluegills

EDITOR'S NOTE: To have a fishing hole that consistently will produce 8- pound bass or bigger, you'll have to do your homework. To pinpoint and fish these types of ponds, have a friend who's already intensively managing his pond. Or, manage your own farm pond carefully. But to have a big-bass fishing pond to fish, rent, lease, borrow or obtain permission from the landowner for you to help pay for the maintenance needed to build your dream pond.

"I've seen some ponds turned around from crowded-bass conditions to producing more bigger bass by initiating a bluegill feeding program," Don Keller, a fisheries biologist and co-owner of American Sportfish, a fish hatchery in Montgomery, Alabama, mentioned. "When you put pelletized food into a pond, you're actually feeding a bluegill. The more food a bluegill eats, the faster it grows, and the more offspring it produces, which results in more food for the bass.

"However, one important key to remember is that bluegills have small stomachs. You'll have to feed them small amounts of food about four times a day. An automatic feeder can be set to feed four times during a 24-hour period. Although you don't have to feed large amounts of food, you do have to feed frequently. Although feeding alone is not the best option to turn a pond around quickly, it can drastically improve the number and size of bluegills in the pond quickly, thereby also improving the size of the bass you're catching."

To learn more about growing big bass, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to ...

* American Sportfish, % Don Keller, PO Drawer 20050, Montgomery, AL 36120 to get a special free report, "Secrets to Small-Pond Management" and

* Moultrie Feeders, 150 Industrial Road, Alabaster, AL 35007 for free information on fish feeders and a free tip sheet, "Ten Secrets to Raising More Fish in Your Farm Pond."

Tomorrow: Opt For The Best Plan