03-07-2014, 05:57 PM
nice fish Mike.
As you are very well aware, estimating the age of a fish based on size is extremely difficult. Especially when estimating a lake trout from Fish Lake.
lake trout in Fish Lake grow based on their forage, not age. The big change happens when a fish reaches around 24-26". If that fish makes a 100% switch from a mixed diet (fish, plankton, insects, etc.) to a strictly pisciverous diet (fish only) then the fish will VERY QUICKLY become a large fish (jump from 26" --> 35"+). However, if that fish does not make the conversion, and continues to prey on plankton, shrimp, insects, etc., then that fish may spend it's entire life (25 years?) as a 24-26" fish.
Averages may give us a number -- for example: on average it might take a lake trout 20 years to reach 20lbs. That would average out to 1lb per year, right? But, in actuality that fish might have grown to 5lbs in it's first 5 years, then spent the next 13 years as a 5lb fish, and on year 18 made the conversion to a pisciverous diet, then ballooned over those last 2 years into a 20lb fish.
That fish might have been 7 years old. It might have been 15. It might have been 30. My personal guess is that it was relatively young: it was caught hook-and-line by an angler (topH20!)! Those older fish are smarter than that!!
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As you are very well aware, estimating the age of a fish based on size is extremely difficult. Especially when estimating a lake trout from Fish Lake.
lake trout in Fish Lake grow based on their forage, not age. The big change happens when a fish reaches around 24-26". If that fish makes a 100% switch from a mixed diet (fish, plankton, insects, etc.) to a strictly pisciverous diet (fish only) then the fish will VERY QUICKLY become a large fish (jump from 26" --> 35"+). However, if that fish does not make the conversion, and continues to prey on plankton, shrimp, insects, etc., then that fish may spend it's entire life (25 years?) as a 24-26" fish.
Averages may give us a number -- for example: on average it might take a lake trout 20 years to reach 20lbs. That would average out to 1lb per year, right? But, in actuality that fish might have grown to 5lbs in it's first 5 years, then spent the next 13 years as a 5lb fish, and on year 18 made the conversion to a pisciverous diet, then ballooned over those last 2 years into a 20lb fish.
That fish might have been 7 years old. It might have been 15. It might have been 30. My personal guess is that it was relatively young: it was caught hook-and-line by an angler (topH20!)! Those older fish are smarter than that!!
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