Fishman, unless the fish are sacrificed, I consider the word relative to be the most important consideration in the equation. The whole analysis is important but there are an awful lot of unknowns unless you are doing true statistical sampling with predetermined control groups. Most members of the wildlife fraternity slow down in length gain as they age and just put on more weight. That is, up to the point where they start declining. However, I doubt if there is any better tool for the individual small pond owner(emphasis on small). It would be nice to have you or Lusk come by and electroshock twice a year but I can't afford it. Given that, I believe that we are comparing trend data on the dumbest or most catchable fish.
