Another great looking bunch of fish Cecil. Do you have any minnow type forage in your ponds for perch or are they strictly pellet fed?
I planted five pounds of fatheads to reproduce last year, as the feed trained female only perch before the last draining did not deplete them like bass will. Unfortuntely I have some yellow perch reproduction due to one male flopping out of a cage, and possibly some I planted that were textbook females, judging by their urogenital openings, that were not. I think these non feed trained perch are doing a number on the fatheads.
Here is proof I screwed up:
I may seine the pond numerous times next spring, move the definite females and male bluegills to two holding ponds in the back, then drain down and salvage the rest, and rotenone any standing water. Then fill back with the well and move the fish back. I've done it before! Lots of work but doable!
The other alternative is to plant same sex bass and or walleye to control the yellow perch reproduction.
