Fishing for fallbacks: sport or torment?

[Snagly]

I've always been told that when the steelhead are done spawning that it's unsporting to fish for them. For one thing, they're odds-on not to make it back to spawn again even if you leave 'em alone, much less catch them a couple more times in their beat up, exhausted state. For another, they are said to hit about anything thrown at them. For a third, they taste bad (I'm told).

I now hear (and read, occasionally) about the great sport to be had fishing ONLY for kelts/ downstreamers/ fallbacks (whatever). I'm told the fish fight (reasonably) hard, that no one else targets them and that 20 fish days are common on uncrowded rivers. I even know of a couple of people who are planning long distance trips to target fallbacks.

I've caught a couple snakes while fishing for salmon before and didn't think much of it -- reel them in as fast as possible and get them off the line and back into the water.

So what's the view of the Board?

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The worst steelhead season in Oregon is still better than the best steelhead run in Singapore!

[Salmonator]

As far as steelhead go, i'll keep a fresh winter runback in a heartbeat (yea, fresh and runback usually can't be used in the same sentence but i've caught many chrome post spawn fish). Most winter runback bucks have decent meat and as I have read, almost all fish that go back to sea are hens. My experience with summer runbacks caught in winter is that they're probably better off released to die and provide food-chain nutrients than to bother putting a knife into.

Addition- When I say i'd keep a down river fish that doesn't include visibly casting to a spawning steelhead, i'll leave that to O'Mykiss. I'm talking incidentally caught fish in regular steelhead holding water

[This message has been edited by Salmonator (edited 01-27-2001).]

Brad, from what I've seen and heard over the years I wouldn't think many guys on this board would target boots and snakes. It's like Joe said, they are sometimes incidently caught while fishing good water for fresh fish. I also think all but the really bright ones are usually released. - RT

[First Bite]

Over the past several years I've caught fallbacks while fishing for returning natives. My first fallback that I caught was in early February and the fish at first appeared to be fresh. It was a fairly bright fish that fought an okay battle. Since it was a hatchery fish, I bonked it and started to clean it. It was only then that I discovered that it was a fallback. The meat was a pale white and by the time I got it home, the meat had become really soft. That was several years ago and since then I have released any fallback fish that I catch. One good way to tell if it is a fallback is to check the firmness of the belly. I usually release most of the fish I catch anyway so unless it's a bright up river fish, I let them all go.

[Trout,myster]

I'm not in agreement with fishing for runbacks, regardless of how many a person can catch. Goes back to the ethical thing. Those fish have supplied what nature meant for them to and are headed back to the ocean to come back later as 12 to 15 pounders. I say leave'm alone.

If you do catch one (they're fairly easy to identify most of the time since they'll look like they've been on an Ultra-slim diet!) and we all do when fishing late winter, get them back in the water unharmed. They're not fit for table fare.

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Troutmyster

[Sand Shrimp]

The next few months there will be plenty of spawned out fish around but I wouldn't target them and I dont know anyone who would go out and try to catch one.Some of them fight ok but others are just like fighting a stick,they come right in.Actually I've had a better fight from a stick than some of the boots I've hooked.When your targeting winter natives and your near the end of the float and haven't hooked anything yet a decent fighting spawner is better than nothing I guess.When your out fishing during native season you don't expect to come home with a fish anyway so as long as it puts up a good fight thats all that matters to me.

[Spooled]

I agree with Troutmyster. Leave them alone.

[Salmonator]

Two identical 33" broodstock fish, the bright one on the left had not an egg in her, but very nice meat. The one on the right was just as bright (bad angle) and had perfect tight eggs.
Troutmyster, you're saying that it's better to prevent a bright fish from spawning for the benefit of better eating as opposed to eating a fish of lesser quality (one again, not talking boots here) that has done it's job. Shouldn't it be the other way around? Not that I release non-spawned fish, just trying to see your point. Remember it's hatchery fish we're talking here...


[This message has been edited by Salmonator (edited 01-28-2001).]

[WheresMyBobber]

I've never targeted fallbacks, and the ones I've incidently caught go right back in the river. I've always thought that if a fish has made it through all the hurdles to return and spawn, it deserves a chance to try it again, or die naturally. I have no scientific basis for this, it's just a moral thing for me I guess.

[Trout,myster]

Salmonator-

Yep...two nice fish! My point is (and yes, talking hatchery fish), if the fish made it up and spawned once, chances are they'll do it again. Remember, steelhead are not like salmon and given a chance will return to sea and then, providing they make it, will return to the river again.

I've also had the same thing happen with steelhead. I caught a really nice hatchery hen in late January a few years back on the Wilson. Bright as a dime and about 10 pounds. I was after some eggs and my spring BBQ filets so I whacked her in the noggin and headed home. When I got home, she was eggless! Had to go ahead and see what the meat was going to be like and, yes, the meat was still pink. That's life and that fish was virtually impossible for me to tell the difference since her belly was not that of a spawned fish. I felt like a heel for killing her and strive not to do that.

Upstream fish fresh from the ocean? Yes, you're absolutely right. Targeting them does have its morals. However, we all fish to catch and some folks really like fish. That's what the hatchery fish are there for. I guess my thoughts go along with Wheresmybobber's. If she (or he) made it once and succeeded, that's a sign of either a strong fish or a lucky one and I just feel better letting them go to try one more time.

Again, those were two really nice fish and if it doesn't bother you to keep them and you genuinely like eating them, then you should do that. There's a difference in incidentally catching a runback and actually going out targeting them. That gets back into ethics and mine don't allow me to do that and sleep nights! Just my opinion and not one to start any sort of ******* contest!

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Troutmyster

[Trout,myster]

Not a problem, Salmon. Still nice fish, R.B.s and all! More than I've hefted up in awhile.

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Troutmyster

[Salmonator]

if it makes you feel any better they were clients and it was 2 years ago...

[Salmonator]

no contest here, just want to let people know i'm not eating boots! (or much of anything this year)

[Steve]

I have never been able to target specific fish, just chuck and pray. If the fish hits the decision to keep or release is in your hands. If you are afraid of hooking a fallback or boot then avoid them by trying somewhere else...sounds like ammo for PETA people to grab and run...like fishing causes pain and suffering for the fish. Eat Fish and Crab.

[Trout,myster]

Damn good point, Steve. No way anyone fishing is going to be able to know what will hit when your rig is bouncing along. PETA is just a sick bunch of folks who don't have enough to do, and you're right...we don't need to supply them on this board!

I still stand by my own ethics, but PETA can (well, you'all fill in the blanks!).

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Troutmyster