Hen or Buck?

[bait-n-wait]

I have seen many posts about releasing hens, nate and hatchery. I understand the reasoning behind this but how do you tell the difference between hen and buck (springers)

[fishinpoor]

bait,the buck has a longer pointed head,and the hen is shorter and rounded off,look in sts magazine or pics on this board,you will soon be able to tell the differance..fishinpoor

[Ty]

It can be very difficult to tell sex's on fish like springers, If they are hatchery fish, keep um!

Alot of times it is better to not look at the mouth, but look at the shape of the belly around the ventral fins. If the fish is upside down and has a square shaped belly is more likely to be a male and rounded more likely to be female.

It is really tough on fish that are so sexually immature and have not recieved there secondary sex charachateristics......

Samplers on the feild make a small cut from the vent and use the ol' finger test to be sure of the sex.... however, not very usefull on live fish.

[ 02-17-2004, 05:04 PM: Message edited by: Ty ]

[Bait O' Eggs]

Just lift the tail and peek

:blush:

[Sublime]

Yes, usually the bucks will have a longer kipe (jaw) and more pointed at the front. The hens usually have a blunt head, as if they had just run into the fish ladder walls :tongue: :grin:

[SandyRiverRon]

the hens are the ones in skirts....sex means little when chasing springers..missing fins get bonked, end of story.

[tag-a-long]

Early we keep only hens for the eggs. Late, we try to keep hens for the eggs. They all eat the same...MMMMMM Good!!!!!!!!!

[TAILOUT]

Ive noticed that the bucks are usually more elongated in the nose, the hens are usuallly shorter in the face Ive been told that if their operculum :whazzup: isnt past their eye then they are a hen if it is its a buck, but that in my opinion rarely holds true. I have also pondered this question and would like to know the answer as well, if someone in the know could clue us in? [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]