Hi, I've got a large mouth bass that is about 9 inches. I've had him since he was only2 1/2-3 inches. I started feeding him earth worms, then added flies and crickets. He would eat meal worms if I cut off the heads. As he got bigger, I started feeding him goldfish. He will eat minnows only if he is starving. I was told if I fed him only goldfish, he could get a disease called "Hole-in-the-head". I do not know if this is the truth or not. Just in case, I'm going to vary his diet with more crickets. They're easy and cheap. He's a great fish! I tried to give hime a buddy, another bass, and he ate its fins and tail. Now he is an only fish.