Is this true?

[joedog]

The age of a fish can be determined by the number of growth rings on its scales.
If it's true, how do you count growth rings on a scale. It's not like a tree where the rings are pretty obvious.
Good Fishing Everyone!

[kennethdaysale]

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasc...9/bio99228.htm

high def photo and then enlarge the crap out of it

[nofearengineer]

The most precice, though not so convenient way to tell a fish's age is by its ear bone, called an otolith. They have the "tree rings" you mention, and they are not too likely to lose them.

[bassboogieman]

So now you can add the title of ICKEY OLIGIST to your list of titles.

[joedog]

So if I pull a scale from a bass I catch, lets say from the tail, and then take it home and put it under a microscope. I should be able to tell how old that fish was?

[kennethdaysale]

Originally Posted by joedog

So if I pull a scale from a bass I catch, lets say from the tail, and then take it home and put it under a microscope. I should be able to tell how old that fish was?

Better to take 2 (two) from behind the gill plate. If you've got a microscope that's fine but the dig pic is easier. However if your conducting scientific research (in which case NFE's earbone example is best) once you get a handle on 2 or 3 year class of fish you won'r need to keep aging fish, you'll know that in Lake X, as a rule a 3lb fish is (on average) 5 yrs old etc. *Warning* if you let it, the fisheries management side of fishing can be just as addictive to study as the actual fishing part.

Btw Joe if you somehow manage to pull a scale from a bass's tail please contact me immediately and I will start making arrangements to get you booked on Letterman, Leno, Today Show, The Factor...you name it.

[lilmule]

Uh often that has already been done by your dnr and results are available,example ohio river spotted bass ky/ohio/wva area take 5 years to obtain 12 in.
Not exactly a fertile fishery now is it.

[joedog]

Joe if you somehow manage to pull a scale from a bass's tail please contact me immediately and I will start making arrangements to get you booked on Letterman, Leno, Today Show, The Factor...you name it.
__________________
Meant towards tail........I think?

[nofearengineer]

Originally Posted by lilmule

Uh often that has already been done by your dnr and results are available,example ohio river spotted bass ky/ohio/wva area take 5 years to obtain 12 in.
Not exactly a fertile fishery now is it.

It's plenty fertile...it just isn't suited to largemouth bass. The Stripers seem to like it. Heck, they even got a spawn off recently.