View Full Version : Coastal Cutthroats
The coast has been catch and release for trout for 3 years now I think, something like that. Why arn't there any big trout? I fished today and caught quite a few cutties, and they were all small. If no one is taking them, where are the big ones? All these fish today were yearling type stuff, no adults? Anybody have any theories? :whazzup:
Kinebra
06-05-2002, 04:33 PM
the bigger "trout" are called "steelhead" :tongue: they getup to about 18 - 20 inches!
deefly
06-06-2002, 06:33 AM
Zaq: I think you will find them in the salt or estuary areas. They will be back! I noticed this last year when I was fishing the _____ river. After June, they all took off. then slowly returned thru the summer and fall.
Not every ecosystem can support big fish. Coastal rivers are freestoners, generaly short and rocky, without a ton of aquatic biomass for fish to grow big on.
garyk
06-07-2002, 09:31 AM
Zaq, you didn'[t say where you were fishing. We've been extremely pleased with the 12"-18" cutthroats we've been catching in the Trask system - and we're nowheres near tidewater. Really beautiful fish, and we often catch a mix of what we assume to be resident and searuns based on the color variability.
Other friends are doing well in the Wilson system.
Interestingly, where we catch the larger fish, we are not getting the 6-inchers that you describe.
Attracter dry flies on top and black leech patterns are what we're usually fishing.
There's plenty of nice fish there, my friends and I feel the C&R regs have made a big impact.
deefly
06-07-2002, 05:03 PM
I have to agree with garyk. C&R regs have made a vast difference. I have taken and seen 20"+ fish only in the last 5 years or so. And plenty ofthem. If we all carefully land and release these babies, there will be plenty of great fishing for all in the years ahead. For once, I think ODFW has done a great job by letting nature cure itself. ("Keep the hominids out!) I use mostly shrimp flies and RCs
garyk
06-10-2002, 04:29 PM
Deefly, glad you've observed the same. Here's another.... a year ago, a reliable (and sober) friend caught, measured and released a 'cutt that went 24", got it in the Wilson system.
Tanner
06-10-2002, 04:45 PM
We have been catching nice (12" - 20") all winter long the Nestucca. Two years ago while summer steelhead fishing on that river my son caught a 26" cutthroat that we estimated at 6 lbs.
Jennie@ifish
06-10-2002, 07:01 PM
We have repeatedly caught many coastal cutts that run way over 12 inches on every river in the Tillamook system, from the Tillamook to the Trask, to the Kilchis.
We are very impressed with what the c and e has done for the fishery.
Jen