Fish with clipped tails

[branweeds]

Has anyone been seeing various species of dead fish floating around, not gutted or harvested, but with their tails clipped off? Up near the on the South Fork of the Nooksack they are everywhere, and I have seen them on other parts of the river as well. It appears to be salmon and possible trout species. The only reason I could think of is if the Fish and Wildlife is doing it to control fish populations. Does anyone know why this is happening and who is doing it?

[Joey Smith]

pretty sure it is to gauge returning numbers, that successfully spawned.

[branweeds]

Do they keep the tails? I have seen the tails floating around as well.

[Bodofish]

It's been a few years but they used to clip the tail fin after they emptied them at the hatchery. In addition, I believe the program is to get them back in the water so the carcasses can feed the bugs and in turn the bay fish. They used to sell the carcasses over seas , "Not for Human Consumption.". Once they leave the country, the owner can do anything they want with them....... can you say fish flakes.......

[Joey Smith]

they prob wouldnt need to its just to keep from counting the same fish twice,

[Matt]

The tail cut is to identify that the fish has been previously sampled.

Biologists both at the hatchery as well as in the field collect biological samples from carcasses during spawning ground assessment surveys. They take scales, DNA, forklength, and otolith, generally (dependent upon species). They cut the tail off when they're done to identify that bio samples have already been taken to avoid them being re-counted and sampled a second time in subsequent surveys.

[dj2loud]

i have yet to see any of this on the south fork and i basically live that river daily between the south and north forks.... You're probably seeing kings that have lethal spawned in the hatchery and they dumped em. I was so happy to see they river's brown out and raise up today when i was below skook..... the river's gonna explode and we will see so many new bright fish up river! Spoke to a couple locals down there in the rain and no ones been catching anything... we can assume everyone's catching cause they bragging but hey, fisherman tales.... You talk to me on the river and you'll get a HONEST answer.....

I buy my jigs from http://www.firstbitejigs.com/ no need in going to yeagers, daves or dicks... just to find out none in stock...

[jonb]

Ill give honest answers on the river too. "Where'd you go fish? (me) sorry, thats highly sensative classified information"

[branweeds]

dj2loud, They have been mostly right floating around the log bank on the river directly across from the hatchery. Thank you for the info everyone, it just left me wondering why they would be cut up like that.

[racfish]

Sea lions sometimes bite the tail of fish then go for the belly grab.

[dj2loud]

There are no sea lions that far up the nook.... Just might be from the hatchery, i have a friend up there that i will ask tuesday.......

[dj2loud]

Ill give honest answers on the river too. "Where'd you go fish? (me) sorry, that's highly sensitive classified information"

You are no longer fishing down in wash so butt out...... Just kidding sir, So how much better are those canadian waters sir???

[jonb]

Its freaking amazing up here! I went 16/24 on coho last weekend and 6/11 on chum dogs this morning. Tomorrow ill chase coho again. So much opportunity here its crazy

[branweeds]

John, where are you chasing the coho?

[dj2loud]

BC---- Hes now the official recruiter of all washington residents to move to canada and fish REAL WATERS untouched by WDFW and the NATIVES....

[racfish]

How do you know the clipping happened up there? Ive seen seals in the lower Nooksack many times while at WWSC.

[dj2loud]

Not sure how you think that the seals in the extreme lower part of the nooksack would influence the fish tails and etc showing up in the south fork watershed, but to clue you in not only is there no tidal influence in the south fork, its continuous glacial melt headed to the bay.... Hatchery would be the most likely or a study was conducted as stated and to avoid recounting the same fish its not uncustomary to remove the tails....

[branweeds]

I have to add, it was fish directly across from the hatchery at the South Fork, and they were dead fish with clean cut off tail. It has to be some hatchery research or work, as dj2loud said.

[Shad_Eating_Grin]

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