One of the questions that comes up on a regular basis from my kids when we go fishing is, “Dad, how old is this fish?”

That is a great question! And it is a very simple process of determining the age of the fish. The action is pretty similar to that of counting rings on a tree log or stump to determine the age of the tree. Counting the number of annuli (rings) on a scale provides the fish age and the spacing between rings is proportional to the growth of the fish. What is also really neat about the data found in just one little fish scale, it not only tells you the age, but also gives you a glimpse of it’s growth, spawning events, and other life-history traits.

Next time you land your next monster of a fish, take some time to remove some scales and do some detective work to find out how old your trophy fish is.