Joe G,
IF you work with Optimal and feel strongly that a certain pellet size is the best for adult perch, they will probably work with you. They can extrude at various sizes and would love to learn why one pellet size makes a difference. For me, I bought two sizes and mix them. I also from time to time half-crush (not very scientific) so I have some smaller sizes, smaller fragments and even better yet some 'pellet dust' to throw out for the smaller size fish. You can easily make the larger optimal into a smaller size, or you can presoak the largest pellets and they will be easy to slurp.
I don't know if you can answer this but how many of the pellets are being attacked at the surface by YP and how many of the YP are hanging out a few feet down to suck up the sinking ones? In conditions where there is more daylight left I see less YP splash at the surface but I can't tell how many of the pellets ever hit the bottom.
To me in a very unscientific way, the taste, smell, or oil content of the optimal is like a magnet. The fish not only come to the surface and clean up more readily, they attack it with much more ardor and vengeance compared to the other brands I used to use (skretting and Tractor supply no name cheap pellets). I'm not sure what that oil film is that makes them go crazy but it is the real deal...
