Directional Fish Feeders
When looking for a feeder you should try to find a directional feeder.
Directional feeders only feed in one direction and throw a pie shaped
pattern roughly 45° and 10-25’ away from the bank. The older style
feeders or scatter feeders can be used but must be suspended over the
pond and are just not effective or convenient. Texas Hunter, Sweeney and
some of the Stren Feeders are the most popular directional feeders.
These feeders feature a two part delivery system that prevents raccoons
and other varmints from vandalizing them. When shopping for a fish
feeder you want a unit that holds the appropriate amount of feed. Most
models hold around 50lbs of floating fish feed. This is sufficient for
your average lake and pond owners; you can expect to fill the feeder
monthly depending on feeding times. Larger models are available, some
units can hold 200lbs or more, these units are only needed on ranches
that are not visited frequently.
A solar panel is an absolute must for any feeder. Most feeders are
12v and come with, or at least have an option for the appropriate
solar panel. Without daily recharging of the battery you will not
get consistent feedings and may shorten your battery life. A digital
timer is another great feature to have, with multiple feedings per
day and adjustable times. Feeding times and durations will differ
from summer to winter, having a timer that is user friendly makes
these changes painless.
Small feed sizes are another obstacle for some feeders. Texas Hunter
and Sweeney Feeders by far have the best design to eliminate these
problems. Texas Hunter Feeders feature a spinning disk that delivers
any size feed without hesitation and without clogging. Sweeney
Feeders use an auger drive to pull feed sizes as small as 1/16” to
the delivery device. Over the years we have used both Sweeney and
Texas Hunter Feeders and found both of these brands superior to all
other feeders we have used. Stren Feeders have proven to be of good
quality as well but doesn’t seem to handle the smallest sized feeds
as the others do.
Feeders range in price from $450 upto $1200
Feeders range in price from $450 upto $1200
