Interesting Sandy Boot

[fisheromen]

I caught this fish Christmas eve on a hot pink corkie in the Dodge Park area with Chuckdog. We had two others on. It seemed a little snaky and loose to me and very thin for a hen. It had dead sea lice still attached and was bright enough that we were sure it was a winter fish so we just figured the eggs must be immature. When I cleaned it out, lo and behold, it was spawned out. Pretty amazing for December 24th. Meat was still in great shape though. http://www.ifish.net/uploads/302911359.jpg http://www.ifish.net/uploads/103011359.jpg

[ 12-26-2002, 11:39 AM: Message edited by: fisheromen ]

[King Kong]

Nice pics.

[GL2]

I saw a couple of bright fish building a red on the Kalama on Monday. Some fish are ready to do the deal as soon as they get "home."

[RiverDog]

Very much like the one I caught on the 23rd in the same area. I wasn't sure if I had a buck or a spawned out hen... how do you tell for sure? By the looseness of the belly?

[Bobby Ray]

Wow! They don't waste no time

That meat looks tasty

[wiser]

In the future, look into the mouth of a questionable fish. If you see fresh water parasites(they look very similar to sea lice) it ia summer fish that has been in the fresh water for some time. Those summers will rebrighten and head for the ocean on the winter freshets. Fresh water parasites can also be found occasionally on the bodies of summer fish.

[TAILOUT]

You can usually tell if it is a hen by the snub nose but most notabaly the egg shooter is sticking out especially on salmon just my opinion. :tongue: Looks like abuck to me just by the elongate face but it is just a picture. The fins seem to be awfully clear so i t must be a fish that is somewhat fresh. Either way awsome fish!

[cosmo]

Wouldn't surprise me if that is a Big Creek stock hatchery fish. In the recent past they have been used almost everywhere. They were the basis for all the rivers having "peak" hatchery returns around Christmas. They come early and often times dump eggs befroe they ever darken (their background is hanging a quick right past Astoria and being done with it.)

They have, in many cases, been reduced in numbers or discontinued altogether in many streams because they are out-of-basin stock and compete with resident wild fish. When they are discontinued, so go the December fisheries we remember.

[wiser]

Returning Big Creek stock should be right maxillary and adipose clipped. The fish pictured has right maxillary intact.

[rob allen]

The white tipped fin also is a sign of sexual maturity.. I'd have to say it was a summer fish that came in and spawned very quickly and was on it's way back out.. looks like beautiful meat though and with a hcthery fish thats what really counts.. nice catch..

Ya know I dodn't look at the picture to tell buck/hen.. but i'd now ammend what i said to say it's a buck That maybe just didn't feed well it's last period of time before entering fresh water..

truth is we'll never know so enjoy the filletes

[ 12-26-2002, 08:59 PM: Message edited by: rob allen ]

[fisheromen]

You know, I couldn't honestly say exactly how you tell what's a buck and what's a hen. I look at the head and I guess its the longer jaws that give away a buck. The shooter isn't protruding on this one but the head and the looseness of the belly tell me it was a hen. I've been wrong before though. So tell me someone who knows, do buck boots have some remnant of a sperm sack in them even after spawning? Cause there weren't nothing left in this one.

[ 12-26-2002, 07:59 PM: Message edited by: fisheromen ]

[wiser]

Bucks will have the beginning of a new milt sack while hens have the very beginnings of egg skeins. These fish, if they survive, are supposed to go back to sea, return and spawn again in one year..

[fatfish]

Good looking fish. Kudos-great filet job.

[David Johnson]

fisheromen,

Yes, spawned out bucks will still have the sexual organs in them.

Looks like you got a spawned out hen Big Cr. fish there.

[ 01-05-2003, 12:23 AM: Message edited by: David Johnson ]

[jeremysgonefishing]

Looks good enough to eat. Santa was good to you.