Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Relative Weight Question.

I have a question on relative weight. I have caught a bass two times in March of 2008 and it weighed 5lbs 9oz and 5lbs 4oz. I just caught the same fish today and he weighed 5lbs 1oz. He has not gained any length. But his relative weight has been over 100% both in March of 2007 (117% and 111%) and today (107%). I figured if the fish was getting enough to eat to be over 100% then he would be getting bigger each year. Has anyone had this same experience.

I have attached a picture of the fish and a picture of my relative weight data. This is the 5 lbs fish caught in 2008 (black dot).

Very interesting! Have you considered the possibility that a particular food item in it's stomach could be skewing your data? In other words, could he have just eaten a huge bluegill the first time, then by the last time just happened to have an empty stomach?

But he should still get longer.

Could you have rounded up one time, and down the other? This could account for an incremental increase in length. It's almost certain that if he's been maintaining optimal weight that he would have added at least a small amount of length.

Dave Willis and I have both noted several times here as has Greg I think - that RW have to be viewed in light of time of year. A large female (I bet that is one) can easily drop 15% of its weight during the spawn as can males. Big females often spawn early. A couple of weeks can make a big difference. What are the water temps ?

Man, that is such a good point. Certainly the temperatures could put a fish slightly ahead in egg development from one year to the next. Wish I would have thought to say that.

Water temp was 52 deg. Even with some measurement error I would think that I would see some increase in length.

Me too. It sounds like that particular bass isn't thriving.

It may be old - reached genetic potential. I doubt spawning is an answer if your water is that cold.

I have a series of pictures of the same bass from our pond that spans roughly 5 years. Both the time of year, age, and other factors have played a role in the varying body condition of this on bass with a unique scar on it's tail.

http://www.nefga.org/forum/nebraska-fishing-forum/6681-recycled-fish-tail.html

You must have had a name for that bass, didn't you, Shorty?

Maybe, but I'm not telling.

Of the two larger fish that I transfered from a public lake, the lager one with the scar did well in the pond, the other did not. I wish I had know about WR's when I caught this fish over the years, all I can show you is the varying body conditions from the pictures. There were several years where we had great weed control in the pond and the LMB devestaed the small BG population leaving lots of skinny LMB, can you tell which pictures were taken just after that time frame?