Northwest Fishing Reports

how do u tell the difference between them and a regular fat trout .......do they fin clip them?

No fin clips on trout. In Western WA size of fish is an indicator. Most diploid plants are a pound or less. Trip plants are pretty much cookie cutter 1-1/2 pounds. Beat up fins can be on both planters as its just what you get from being raised in crowded conditions in concrete ponds. If the fish are larger they are either over wintered fish (very few) or they are old brood stock fish. On the brood stockers their fins are all beat up from a few years in the hatchery. If the fins, tail, and dorsal are perfect its a wild trout. You won't find many wilds on the west side. Over in Eastern WA there is a lot of successful spawning as there is a lot more suitable spawning water and a lot less pressure.

Another source of trout with perfect fins is from fingerling plants. I've been seeing this in some of the local Columbia Basin lakes.