Bruce - Your observation about YP in cold water reinforces my earlier comment in another thread that YP are relatively quite active in cool and cold water compared to BG and bass. I have found with pellet trained YP that, if you soften & roll the food using my method and drop it into a hole cut in the ice the perch will feed basically the same way you described above only they rarely feed at the surface but they will come within 2-3 feet of the surface eating sinking pellets. I have fun doing this siting in a warm ice shanty on bla winter days.
Here are some cage reared YP from my pond that started cage culture in April at 4.5-6" and ended the season at 7.8"-10.5"; thus they are two yr old fish.
