Another comment about growing fish to be as big as you can get them.
It is very important to get or buy the fish to be as big as possible in their first year of life because lost growth for the 1st year is LOST forever and never regained no matter how much they grow each year thereafter. Thus if they did not achieve maximum growth at one year old and were 1", or 2" or 3", or 4" short at age one, the final length at death will be 1", 2", 3", or 4 " shorter. So if you are interested in trophy class fish it becomes very important to get the biggest 1 year old fish that you can find.
For each year class or spawn of a fish species, the fish in that entire group at one yr old, will have around 15-20% runts, 60-70% regular or average size ones and about 10%-15% as largest fastest growing ones also known as 'shooters' or 'jumpers'. The entire year class is often graded but not always by the fish farm and each size group is then sold at a different price. Buyer Beware and informed as to what you are buying. The 'runts' will never get as big as the average size ones nor the shooters. That is why I always try and buy 'shooters' or the best fish from places that actually hatched and grew those fish. If those largest 1yr old fish cost a little more, they are well worth the added money if you are really interested in growing trophy class fish.
So if a fish farm receives fingerling fish in the fall and grows them indoors all winter,,, those fish will be much bigger than the other fall sibling fingerling fishes that were held in cold water ponds all winter. Both fish will be 365 days old on their first birthday. Those grown inside would be 6”-8” and those held over winter in the cold pond would be classed as fingerlings 2”-4” all one year old. Know what you are buying if high quality fish is your goal.
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