2" SMB in late Fall troubles me. SMB in IL should spawn in mid/late May, and 5 month old fish should be at least 4" in the Fall, with exceptional fish reaching 7-8". My personal record is 9" after 5 months growth. Just a word of warning, don't be the easy out for a hatchery trying to dump inferior [runt] fish. I do hope these fish thrive for you, just something for others to bear in mind when buying fish.