smallmouth age question

[rocketball]

Yesturday I fished a local lake that apparently had been stocked with smallmoth bass a few yrs ago. Between the hrs of 11am too 4pm I hooked and released over 100 smallies and not one was over 12".

So my question is would it be possible to know how old these fish are or does the growth rate vary from lake to lake depending on food source?

Also what is the growth rate generally of smallmouth bass? Are we talking 1-2" per year or is that to broad of a question? THis lake is located in New Brunswick Canada where ice out would be late april and things start to freeze over late November. 

thanks

[Dave T.]

Here's a link to a growth chart for the North Branch of the Susquehanna in NE PA.

http://www.nbsmallmouthalliance.com/growth.html

You growth rate will be even less.

[rocketball]

right on....thanks...I'll assum that the smallies in this small lake are 4-5 yrs old sense the largest ones I hooked were 11-12".

[slonezp]

It depends more on the way water temp affects metabolism than food source. Fish from warmer climates have a longer "growing" season and tend to grow faster.

[roadwarrior]

In the northern regions a 5 lb smallmouth is at least nine years

old, but will live up to nineteen years. In the South, 5 lbs is four

or five years old. However, our smallmouth rarely see their tenth

birthday.

8-)