look what i caught today
- Thread starter fishguts
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they both look like a steelhead, or skamania, which is a great lake stocked, lake run rainbow trout. wild rainbows never get that big in small creeks, these are from the bigger rivers and lake. I know this because I use to live there and fish those waters. River rainbows are far more colorful. They stock them for winter, spring and summer runs, so these fish are probably from 2 different runs.
these fish are ok to eat and keep, as they're all farm hatched, stocked fish, the wild ones are usually small and colorful, rarely if ever seen!
all salmonids-trouts get a kype during breeding, more pronounced in the males. whether if they're lake, river, or creek fish.
these fish are ok to eat and keep, as they're all farm hatched, stocked fish, the wild ones are usually small and colorful, rarely if ever seen!
all salmonids-trouts get a kype during breeding, more pronounced in the males. whether if they're lake, river, or creek fish.
not all are stocked. you wouldnt believe how many smolts there are this year. there deff two types of fish. look at the mouth and the gill plate. bottom is rainbow. id bet on that if i were a betting man. ok after reading a article on difference between steelhead and rainbow here is what they say even though i dont even agree with it. it states that all the trout that live out there lives in freshwater are rainbows (exception brown and brook). only steelhead make there way back into the ocean. but like i already mentioned how can you explain the obviously different jaw structure and gill plate of the 2.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_trout
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_trout
fishguts;1698916; said:
they are both the same species, not having to go to the ocean. the ones around the great lakes are stocked, some do spawn and have smolts that stay in the tributaries. rainbow trout and steelhead are the same fish! they look different because different stages after returning from the great lake or ocean, they will develop the kype, darker rainbow coloration. and they don't all die after spawning like most pacific salmons do.
rainbows rarely grow past 15" in smaller rivers/creeks., more often in remote rivers in new zeland, or places not fished, or if they go to the great lake and return.
the one in the top picture is probably a hold over, spawning or spawned out fish, from the winter/spring stock., and the silver one, we call it fresh, meaning fresh from the lake, it hasn't changed colors, and jaw shape yet, but I'll bet you they're most likely both stocked fish!
steelheads are rainbow trouts that go into the larger bodies of water to grow big, and return to spawn. when they live in the larger lakes or ocean they turn silver with a black back, hence steelhead.
when they return to spawn, initially they look like a steelhead, as the time goes by, they turn more and more like a rainbow trout coloration.
rainbows do grow that big, but usually in rivers, and are rarer, and do not grow that big and never stocked in smaller creeks at that size. you'll see large adult rainbows stocked in smaller lakes more often.
this also applies to salmons, and all different trouts as well. when they go to the lake most turn silver, and change back to original color and shape when in the rivers.
they develope different mouth pattern, called a kype, in the males, they develop a pronounced hooked jaw, as you can see in your fish, its more and more obvious as time goes by.
most salmons die after spawning, and many trouts and steelheads die also, but not all, and a lot of steelheads actually survive to the lakes again and return to spawn again! hope that helps clear up the confusion!
when they return to spawn, initially they look like a steelhead, as the time goes by, they turn more and more like a rainbow trout coloration.
rainbows do grow that big, but usually in rivers, and are rarer, and do not grow that big and never stocked in smaller creeks at that size. you'll see large adult rainbows stocked in smaller lakes more often.
this also applies to salmons, and all different trouts as well. when they go to the lake most turn silver, and change back to original color and shape when in the rivers.
they develope different mouth pattern, called a kype, in the males, they develop a pronounced hooked jaw, as you can see in your fish, its more and more obvious as time goes by.
most salmons die after spawning, and many trouts and steelheads die also, but not all, and a lot of steelheads actually survive to the lakes again and return to spawn again! hope that helps clear up the confusion!
