Posts: 937
Threads: 1
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
2
Was out on the ice over the weekend and hooked in to a big feisty fish. I thought it might be a big ol' brown. As I got it near the hole and saw some serious color, I really wanted to hold that fish! I couldn't believe the colors on this rainbow, photos don't do it justice, especially the one on the snow since the snow caused it to under expose. It looks more like a king salmon than any other rainbow I've ever caught. I hated to kill it, but since this lake (Steinaker) will be drained this year for dam repairs, I figured my neighbors might like to eat it (I was right!)
[signature]
Posts: 490
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2015
Reputation:
0
That looks like a pretty classic cutbow to me.
[signature]
Posts: 1,395
Threads: 17
Joined: Sep 2003
Reputation:
9
Looks like a male rainbow in spawning colors. Probably a fall/winter spawner....I can see where you say that it looks like a King salmon, though.
[signature]
Posts: 14,093
Threads: 168
Joined: Jan 2011
Reputation:
14
Pretty fish and it looks like a great day on the ice... Thanks for sharing that with us... Later J
[signature]
Posts: 767
Threads: 12
Joined: Apr 2017
Reputation:
8
Kype jaw, dark red sides.
I agree that it is a Spawning Rainbow male. It probably has been living in deep water until very recently. Fish that have been in shallow water, with more light, will have a lighter pattern. With the ice on the water, the depth could have been more shallow, but a lot of light still penetrates unless a lot of snow gets on top.
It is very rare to catch a Bow with that kind of coloration, but I have seen it maybe a dozen times in the last 40 years.
Natural spawn rainbows should be preparing to spawn now, but the hatchery strains have been altered so that states can plant "catchables" at about 9" any time of the year. I have seen bows, browns spawning every month of the year. It often takes 2 or 3 generations before they revert back to the March-April natural spawning times.
Posts: 1,395
Threads: 17
Joined: Sep 2003
Reputation:
9
[quote Anglinarcher]Kype jaw, dark red sides.
I agree that it is a Spawning Rainbow male. It probably has been living in deep water until very recently. Fish that have been in shallow water, with more light, will have a lighter pattern. With the ice on the water, the depth could have been more shallow, but a lot of light still penetrates unless a lot of snow gets on top.
It is very rare to catch a Bow with that kind of coloration, but I have seen it maybe a dozen times in the last 40 years.
Natural spawn rainbows should be preparing to spawn now, but the hatchery strains have been altered so that states can plant "catchables" at about 9" any time of the year. I have seen bows, browns spawning every month of the year. It often takes 2 or 3 generations before they revert back to the March-April natural spawning times.[/quote]
I have found that rainbow trout similar to the one in the OPs pic are quite common in southern reservoirs in the winter and spring months...specifically in Minersville Reservoir. Also, a lot of studies have been done in Utah on rainbow trout strains and their performance post stocking (catchability, growth, survival etc.) and FWIW most of these studies have concluded that the Ten Sleep, Shepherd-of-the-hills, and Sand Creek strains are the most well-suited to Utah waters. Interestingly, the Sand Creek strain is considered to be a fall spawning fish unlike most of the other rainbow trout strains. Also interesting is the fact that the infamous Kamloops rainbows have not performed nearly as well in Utah waters as many anglers think. In fact, the Ten Sleep, Shepherd-of-the-hills, and the Sand Creek strains have consistently shown higher growth rates than Kamloops strains.
Because of whirling disease concerns, studies have also been done comparing WD resistant rainbow trout strains and how they compared to the other strains. It appears that the GRHL (Germain strain X Harrison Lake strain) strain is very effective in Utah as well because its resistance to WD and its high growth rates in hatcheries.
Anyways, my bet is that the pic of the fish by the OP is that of a Sand Creek rainbow trout in spawning colors (although, truthfully, I haven't looked up what strain of bows are being stocked from the water in question and could certainly be wrong).
[signature]
Posts: 156
Threads: 0
Joined: Dec 2010
Reputation:
0
I have caught a few big rainbows through the ice at Otter Creek that look similar to this. I sometimes wonder if they are native fish instead of the planters that are put in the lake. Either way that's a cool looking fish.
[signature]
Posts: 937
Threads: 1
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
2
Interesting information. All the rainbows that I caught that day we're all ready for the spawn. That male was full of milt, and all of the females were crammed full of eggs.
[signature]
Posts: 32
Threads: 0
Joined: Jul 2017
Reputation:
0
Kokanee get a red color during their spawn as well as a curved jaw but unusual for Koekez to be where you at hmmmmm
[signature]
Posts: 937
Threads: 1
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
2
Totally out of season for the kokanee spawn. This was 100% rainbow, but I had never seen this coloration before, though I've seen bright spawning colors on other rainbows.
[signature]
