244 



FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



Table 21. — Distribution by age groups of yellow perch in the different years' collections from impounding nets 



(Percentages in parentheses] 



* The 1929 data may be considered as representative of autumn conditions since 66 percent of the specimens were collected in November and December. 



sized and illegal-sized fish. It is of practical value 

 to know also the representation of these two size 

 gi'oups separately as well as the age groups in the 

 marketable catch, that is, legal-sized fish. Data 

 on these subjects are contained in table 22 which 

 shows the number and percentage of legal and 

 undersized yellow perch in each age group repre- 

 sented in the total catch and in table 23 which 

 gives the numerical and percentage composition 

 of the marketable catch in each year's collection. 

 From the former table it may be seen that legal- 

 sized yeUow perch constituted an unimportant 

 proportion of age group I. This age gi'oup domi- 

 nated the catch of impounding nets in 1927 but 



apparently contributed nothing to the commercial 

 yield. The highest percentage of legal-sized 

 perch in any group I was 8.1 in 1937. The 

 majority of all group-II perch captured were 

 undersized — 60.3 percent as determined from a 

 size limit of Sji inches. In only two years (1929 

 and 1937) did the percentage of undersized perch 

 in age group II fall below 50. Thus it may be seen 

 that the age group that normally dominated the 

 catch of impounding nets (the spawning-run fish- 

 ery excepted) consisted largely of yellow perch that 

 could not be retained and sold by the fisherman. 

 The percentage of undersized perch in all group- 

 Ill fish combined was small (15.1). In two years 



Table 22. — Distribution by age groups of legal- and illegal-sized yellow perch in the different years 



impounding nets 

 [Percentages in parentheses] 



collections fro7n 



' The number and percentage of legal- and illegal-sized fish in the various age groups of all years' collections combined as determined for the size limit effec- 

 tive in each year. 



' As determined for SJi-inch limit for all years. 



