Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations vanishing yellow perch

I have clipped fins and dorsal spines of some adult perch. The fins fairly quickly regrow and one has to look very closely to see the original clip marks. As with other fish as long as the fish size groups always appear plump and well fed you can usually assume good growth rates. For me this is true if your largest YP are continually getting larger until harvest or mortality. Old YP grow slower than 2 and 3 yr old perch but old fish do gain length and body weight each year. If your YP are topping out at around 9" to 11" long they are probably food limited and or too crowded. A two year old female YP can be 10"-11" long whereas an underfed male YP at 2 yrs can be 4"-5" and the well fed male will be 7"-9". For YP, females grow faster than males.