YOY Bass Length?

[Nick Kuhn]

I have 3 bass hatched this year in an aquarium and was wondering how large a normal fish would be at this point. Mine measure in at 2,3, and 4 inches and was wondering why there was such a disparity (ie do I have a runt, a giant, and a typical fish or a runt and a smaller runt). They all eat their fill, but the largest is the only one that overeats (ie he struggles to swim afterward).

Only thing I could find was that at age 1 in Alabama the average length is about 7", so I'm thinking only the largest is on pace to reach that length. Anyone else have info?

[ikeslayer]

According to Dick sternbergs book The northern strain of bass should be at 4.7 inches at 1 year and at 2 years should be 8.5.

i have a bass in my aquarium as well and it has grown three inches since we got it in August it was 7 now ten i am guessing i have a 2 year old bass. What i do know is that the northern strain of bass grow more rapidly when they do grow to make up for the long winters so your bass should be on a record setting pace because they are still in 70 degree weather and eating like kings.

Out of curiostiy what are you feeding them. And i would be curious to know if that big one starts pushing around the smaller ones soon.

ike

[Nick Kuhn]

I already had to move the smallest because it was getting beat up. Moved him into a tank with some gills that hatched this year as well, and he quickly regained a well defined stripe (was almost indistinguishable before).

As far as feeding that beast, I knew he would over-eat because when I first put him in there I had a lake chub of about the same size in there with it, and it ate the chub. I walk in to see the chubs tail sticking out of it's mouth. On most days I feed them bloodworms, they seem to gobble those up, but they can't sustain a larger fish. Sometimes I'll drop a crappie minnow in, it lasts about 30 seconds in the tank. Otherwise I have a stockpile of worms I feed them as when they lose the sag in their belly.