Northwest Fishing Reports

A few mishaps on Friday morning kept my brother (AJ's Dad) and I from getting on the water as early as we wanted.
We were going to chase some smallies on Hayden Lake in Idaho. 3 casts into the day with a pumpkin seed tube jig, my bro hooked this guy that was hiding under a dock in 4 ft of water. The ultra light rod and 6 pound test line held up and I netted him after an exciting few minutes. When we hooked him up on the brand new Cabelas digital scale, it said 4 pounds 12 ounces. What a joke....nice scale you're selling there Cabelas! We measured him as best as we could.... 32 inches long...10 inches deep (about 22 inches around at the belly). Using a fish weight calculator I found on the web, he weighed around 22 pounds. He was released to spawn and fight another day and hopefully thrill yet another angler in the future.
The current Idaho state record for Rainbows is 19 pounds....so I think my brother released what could have been a new state record....but I guess we'll never really know for sure.

I think this thing is a Gerrard Rainbow. Any other fish experts out there with an opinion?

I was thinking that sometimes certain bodies of water get spawned out steelies planted in them and could this be one of those. We used to catch them up to 15 lbs down on the Snake river above Hells Canyon dam. Or it could be a big old rainbow up to spawn:-"

I have talked to some of the old timers about the huge trout in Hayden and from what I can gather, there is quite a few Kamloops left over from the stocking program back in the day. I looks like one with his battle colors on! That is a hog for sure. Good job on your Bro for releasing it! That lake is a great trophy fishery and needs to be managed as such. Swing into the Orvis shop in CDA, they have some pics of some HUGE Kams.

For those of you looking to fish Hayden, please read the regs as they have changed from years past.

If I were to ignore the location, Id call that a Coho salmon. Color, size, spots, it all comes together as a coho.

The only non-coho traits are the red cheeks, the lack of hook in the snout to match the jaw, and the slight break in color between the red stripe and the belly color.

E

I have a friend that lives on the lake. I showed him the photo and didn't tell him what anyone else thought, and his first inclination was that it's a Kamloops Rainbow which would look just like this:

My first inclination was also a rainbow. Kam because of the location. Old male steelhead can also look quite similar and they are a sea run rainbow, of course.

Coho E the sage is growing deeper know I realize the meds have won:compress: !!!!Buck spawner tired out older metalhead:-$

E= a first a Coho Salmon with a square steelhead tail?:-& maybe just maybe a V tail ya think for a salmon:colors: with all that open ocean fishing :cyclopsan LOL

I do believe we have a winner....

Kamploops it is !

Thanks for all the replies.

Fish on my friends...Fish on !

Drumdog wrote:I do believe we have a winner....

Kamploops it is !

Thanks for all the replies.

Fish on my friends...Fish on !

Sweet. What do I win?!

I have seen more of those big Kams taken while fishing for other species than when targeting them. Spring is the time to nail one though.

There is no way to determine a sub species (Blackwater, Kamloops, Gerrard etc,, etc) of trout by visual indicators. The only way to confirm thier genetics is by DNA sampling. Based on stocking records it could be either a Kamloops or a Gerrard. Its a hell of a nice big spawner male by any measure. I'm glad he put it back so he could spread some of those big genes!

I open the window, I look at the color of the fish, thats what I see.....

Maybe its wishful thinking for this summer eh?

E

Again Salmon do not have flat straight tails:-$ :cyclopsan

Glad the old buck was released

Fish on!!!

Gisteppo wrote:I open the window, I look at the color of the fish, thats what I see.....

Maybe its wishful thinking for this summer eh?

E

Hey, Im not trying to pee on anyones parade, just stating the facts. If you wanna call a walleye a pickerel or call a brook trout a trout............. feel free. As a retired fish bio I did spend too many years on the research edge, but I try to keep the facts straight?


BTW: Walleye are Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) & Brood trout are a char Salvelinus fontinalis

chironomid_guy wrote:There is no way to determine a sub species (Blackwater, Kamloops, Gerrard etc,, etc) of trout by visual indicators. The only way to confirm thier genetics is by DNA sampling. Based on stocking records it could be either a Kamloops or a Gerrard. Its a hell of a nice big spawner male by any measure. I'm glad he put it back so he could spread some of those big genes!

Yes, I agree withthe above, with one possible exception. Rainbow require highly oxygenated water to spawn, moving water, and gravel beds. Does Hayden have those conditions?????

Anglinarcher wrote: Yes, I agree with the above, with one possible exception. Rainbow require highly oxygenated water to spawn, moving water, and gravel beds. Does Hayden have those conditions?????

Yes!

Nice piggie!
22 lb fish on 6lb line? Bet that took a while...

Just goes to show that heavy line isn't really necessary unless you're in thick cover or you've got to horse your fish out of the water quick.