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OMG, fishing for spawning steelhead? Seriously Bob, have you ever fished for a steelhead that wasn`t looking to spawn?Why use that special net and then hold them out of the water for pictures?
I also see that one of the hens was pretty well puckered up down below, which indicates that they are in their prime spawning stage. Are these guys fishing these wild steelhead on their redds?
Just asking
Yeah Bill, I have.OMG, fishing for spawning steelhead? Seriously Bob, have you ever fished for a steelhead that wasn`t looking to spawn?
An adult steelhead is present in fresh water for only one reason. If you`re going to throw the hatchery spawn out there as not really spawning you may as well buy farmed fish, as those are surely not looking to spawn.Yeah Bill, I have.
A perfect example are the summer run steelhead that we fish upon on the Cowlitz. Those fish for most part do not "spawn" in the lower river nor do they spawn much in the tributaries either. The 3 recycling studies showed that the vast majority on the summer runs were headed to the salmon hatchery and not to spawn in natural redds in the Cowlitz. The genetic study also reflected pretty much the same. As far as I know, out of all the steelhead (summer runs) that had radio tags in them, none were found on any "redds" in the lower Cowlitz.
It appears that the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery is their only redd destination![]()
If you truly did not want to fish for spawning fish, you would not fish salmon and steelhead in fresh water. It`s possible to get them in the salt, where they truly feed and live most of their lives.Bill
Of course there is a distinct difference fishing returning steel and fishing on them over red beds. Some upper river areas are closed to keep the spawning adults unmolested. I will of course release any full finned fish but I do not fish wild rivers for the purpose of just practicing C&R. I am so hatchery and love to bonk on them the more the merrier .......Dam in the way.......RJ out.
They may be "looking" but that is where it all endsAn adult steelhead is present in fresh water for only one reason. If you`re going to throw the hatchery spawn out there as not really spawning you may as well buy farmed fish, as those are surely not looking to spawn.
You think the two hatchery fish in the photos I posted were just looking? LOL. One is in love with a boot and the other is smoking a cigarette.They may be "looking" but that is where it all ends
lol...It works the same for all Salmonids, as well as all other fish species....and some humans too![]()
BillI used to fish those same streams for "trout" Bob, then the WDFW told me I was eating smolts? MMM