Just because you read something in print does not make it absolutely true. IMO the seminole perch is a local hatchery trade name and they are not 3rd party tested and proven to be a more rapidly growing nor larger growing strain of yellow perch than a good genetic stock of yellow perch (see later). I was told by fish farmers in the Midwest, Zetts will buy fish from them when his supply is sold out. FYI - many fish farms to always have fish available, commonly buy fish from other hatcheries when their stocks are sold out. Thus these perch may not always be the advertised strain.
Technically the european species of yellow perch (Perca fluviatilis) is an exotic species and illegal in the USA. The claim is Seminole perch are larger than the "small Perch that are found in the Great Lakes region". Fact is the strain of yellow perch found in the Great Lakes can easily grow to 15"-16" long. Commercial netters and anglers often catch really large perch from Great Lakes of Erie, Huron and Michigan (northern). I and Cecil Baird ( forum: CB1) have grown the LK Erie strain to these 16" sizes. I regularly catch 14"-15" perch in my pond each winter. There are pictures of perch from northern MI that have gotten to 17-20" long which pretty much puts a lid on the rumor about "small Great Lakes perch". A search for yellow perch on this forum will provide more details.
A larger YP is not necessarily better than smaller perch. When controlling BG one wants heavy predation pressure on the smallest BG to quickly reduce the competition factor before they get larger (2"+) when they eat more and compete more with other similar sized fish. Thus an abundant "crop" or size class of predators 7"-9" long can in the correct habitat and conditions effectively thin out small BG when they are 1/2"-1.2".
Much has been discussed here in past posts about the features of green sunfish and I will not spend time on it here.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 12/27/09 07:34 PM.
