How to Feed a Largemouth Bass in a Farm Pond

Largemouth bass are one of the most impressive and valuable fish to keep in a farm pond. Bass grow to more than 20 inches long and act as the top predators in a pond. In a well-established and balanced pond, you shouldn’t need to feed the bass. They will find enough food for themselves in the form of invertebrates and smaller fish. However, in newer ponds, when you are trying to feed-train one or more individuals, or when you want to support an unusually high number of bass, you might wish to feed them supplemental food.

Fill a bucket with fish pellets in the early morning. Bass will eat pellets developed for salmon and trout species, although this might not be ideal as their only source of food. As a supplement to a natural diet of smaller fish and invertebrates, salmonid pellets are fine.

Throw a handful of pellets at a time into the pond. Wait until the bass and smaller fish eat these before throwing in another handful. In total, don’t feed more than the fish can eat within five minutes. Uneaten food supports algal blooms.

Feed the bass again in the evening, again taking care not to overfeed. It is not important whether the bass or the smaller fish take most of the pellets, as the bass also eat the smaller fish.