big tiger trout

[wormandbobber]

Here is a pic of a big tiger trout caught out of Panguitch on Saturday. The fished was measured at 27 inches long and probably weighed between 7-9 pounds. Interestingly, this fish grew to this size without a forage fish like chubs...
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[albinotrout]

So what was it eating then to get to this size?
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[wormandbobber]

The fish was released, so I don't know. But, the reservoir has been pumping out lots of big trout...most likely, their main diet is comprised of aquatic insects. Tiger trout and bear lake cutthroat have been stocked in case chubs make a comeback, but so far no chubs have been confirmed in gill nets...any predation on chubs, if they are present, has to be pretty minimal.

....on this day, we also caught a fair number of cutts that hovered around the 20 inch mark. I have also personally caught rainbows up around 26 inches in Panguitch and know of other big fish that have been in that same range.

I also know of a lake on the Boulder that is putting out fish over 10 pounds without forage fish...
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[Northman]

I think it would be eating small rainbows in the lake. Unfortunately in some lakes the rainbows and kokanee are the forage fish. Thanks for posting. I didn't realize they got that big in panquitch.
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[wormandbobber]

It could possibly be eating stocked rainbows now, but to get that big it most likely wasn't feeding on other stocked trout. Rainbow trout are stocked at 6-9 inches in Panguitch to help them avoid predation--they are simply too big for most trout to prey on. So, to get as big as it is now, it probably wasn't feeding on 6-7+ inch trout. But, now that it is that big, it may feed on those fish.


Other big fish netted from Panguitch:
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogsfishin...h.html.csp
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[Wildcat94]

I have caught browns in the 22" and bigger range with 6-9" chubs or other trout sticking out of their mouths, a 27" tiger could chomp a 6-12" trout no problem
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[wormandbobber]

yeah, sure, a 22 inch fish or especially a 27 inch fish can eat other fish....but, it didn't get 22 inches or 27 inches by eating other fish. It might have converted to a predatory fish diet once it reached about 18-20 inches, but it didn't start out as a 6-9 incher eating other fish. That is my point. Also, people have this idea that you cannot grow big trout or big fish without chubs or some kind of minnow as a forage...but, this simply isn't true. Panguitch Lake is a perfect example...and, as I mentioned, I know of a lake on the Boulder that has pumped out some 10 pound plus trout without chubs or minnows as well.
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[PBH]

Just look at Lee's Ferry back in the mid 1970's. There was no forage fish for those hog rainbow trout to prey on. They were growing to 15lb's by eating invertebrates.

Panguitch Lake is a very good current example of a place that grows large trout without forage fish. Whether anglers want to believe it or not.

History has shown time, and time again, that if you remove the chubs the trout grow FAST which = big fish. The trick is keeping the chubs out. Once the chubs come back, growth rates of trout slow and average fish size goes down. Sure, a select few may thrive and grow big utilizing chubs, but the population average as a whole goes down.
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[Fishrmn]

Before chubs came back in Scofield we used to catch numerous 3 to 5 pound Rainbows per trip. Now you're the lucky one if you catch one nice sized fish in two or three trips.
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[Deadeye008]

There are quite a few lakes on Boulder Mtn. and in the Wind River Range that produce big fish that are not feeding on other fish. The majority of those lakes have huge populations of scuds.
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[Gemcityslayer]

I've seen 20-25" Tigers with 8-10" trout in their mouth.
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[PBH]

the question is NOT if big tiger trout prey on other fish.

The question is: do 4" tiger trout eat 9" stocked rainbows?


the answer is no.


The tiger trout in Panguitch Lake are reaching sizes of 20" by eating invertebrates. There are no confirmed chub findings in Panguitch, which means there are no forage fish for tiger trout or cutthroat to prey on. They are getting big. They are doing it by eating invertebrates. Once they get to 22 - 24", i would bet that they do start preying on other stocked fish.
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[brookieguy1]

Hopefully those brook trout they stocked in there last spring take off!
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