If you can sell your baitfish crop, it definitely pays to feed the fish, at least for southern producers. Annual yields of golden shiners or fathead minnows raised using fertilizer alone are usually in the range of 350 to 450 lb/acre. With a feeding program, and aeration, yields can exceed 800 to 1,000 lb/acre. In a baitfish research verification trial, the average yield from commercial ponds was around 1,000 lb/acre. Budgets for baitfish show that fixed costs of production are relatively high, so that profits increase sharply with yield. However, feeding also increases risk. If a feeding program is implemented and for some reason the fish produced cannot be sold, the money spent on feed and feeding is lost. In addition, feeding increases the chances of water quality problems, especially low dissolved oxygen. Aeration is highly recommended if fish are to be fed.
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