Bruce,
That's funny. I thought I was the one envying you! I'm still not confident I will grow big bluegills like you. I may have blown it with below optimum growth this summer due to overcrowding.
Are you aware:
"Yellow perch brood stock must be held outdoors in ponds or indoors under conditions
that mimic the normal seasonal changes in temperature and day length, as these changes are
needed to induce normal sexual maturation. Females must be exposed to a "chill period" for
normal yolk deposition and final maturation to occur. The optimum chill period of yellow
perch from northern Minnesota was determined to be 185 days at temperatures of 43EF (6EC)
or lower (Hokanson 1977). Yellow perch from more southern latitudes, however, probably
do not need such a long or cold chill period to complete maturation." (Kolkovski and
Dabrowski 1998).
See Yellow Perch White Paper
http://govdocs.aquake.org/cgi/reprint/2003/528/5280250.pdf One plus to raising perch indoors at constant temps which precludes gonadal development may be faster growth and then when you want them to develop eggs you can overwinter them under appropriate conditions.
