burly simtustus bulltrout (pic)

AlseaAssassin · 02-19-2004, 09:32 PM

I thought you guys might enjoy this picture of a bulltrout we captured at the base of Round-Butte dam in our jump pool during my internship with PGE. We were capturing, floy tagging, and pit tagging the bulltrout to measure growth rates over there lifespan. The bulltrout try to pass upstream to spawn in the Metoloius but are blocked by Round-Butte dam, so every year to every other year we get a chance to encounter the same fish. It's pretty cool to see some of the old bruisers, they just sit down there and munch kokanee as they exit the turbines. This results in minimal energy expendeture in hunting and more for growth. Some of the fish we tagged this summer were upwards of 20 pounds but I think this one was 12. Enjoy

Snapset · 02-19-2004, 09:37 PM

Cool Pic! You ever fish for any of those hawg kokes in Simtustus?

AlseaAssassin · 02-19-2004, 10:33 PM

Yeah, I got into some lunkers last summer in July. Beautiful fish, no parasites and all around 15 to 18 inches. I sure like them better than Billy Chinook kokes.

jr sherwood · 02-20-2004, 04:17 AM

One of my favorite places to fish!

jr

David Johnson · 02-20-2004, 05:41 AM

Cool, I've heard talk of putting in fish ladders to reastablish the salmon runs above the dams, what do you know about that?

SHOUGALNITE · 02-20-2004, 07:06 AM

INTERESTING

Beaver1 · 02-20-2004, 08:01 AM

Dave,

I went to a lecture last year at PSU about the Metoloius river and the historical fish runs. There were two guys from the Energy company that owns those dams (PGE I think) on lake Billy Chinook. They are in the process of trying to gain better control of the water temps coming out to the dams, and showing the Feds that they could create a situation that would support the salmon runs and not damage any habitat down stream with temperature fluctuations (among other problems). I believe that new renovations were needed before the process would fully work. I remember a time line of about 5-7 years before anything would really be going. I think this is a really cool idea and would love to see it get approved!!

greenbuttskunk · 02-20-2004, 08:03 AM

nice pic, those bulls are beauties. I've take fish like that in the metolius in flies, they are such wonderful fish. I hope they are a resource around for a long time. Looks like you had fun working with them.
GBS

FallRiverGuy · 02-20-2004, 08:10 AM

Now I can see why they are called Bull Trout. Look at the hump on that fish!

I am assuming that the kokanee coming out of the turbines are stunned and thus easy pickings for the Bull Trout. I have seen kokanee floating on the surface below the dam and thought they must have come thru the dam and gotten beat-up.

FallRiverGuy · 02-20-2004, 12:28 PM

Makes you wonder just how far can you cast a rapala or a Buzz Bomb. [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]

ANDYCOHO · 02-20-2004, 04:10 PM

That is one mean lookn' fish!!

Thanks for sharing!

AlseaAssassin · 02-20-2004, 06:39 PM

Hi Guys,

The answer is yes, they are trying to establish passage around and through the three dams on the Deschutes. PGE has already put hatch boxes full of spring chinook eggs up in the Metolius river around Camp Sherman for the last couple of years, as well as releasing sockeye fry hatched in the Round-Butte hatchery. Currently PGE has engineers looking at modifing the water intake structure to reposition the intake closer to the surface to create a larger "attraction" so fish don't get "lost" in the current created as the water hits the face of the dam and flows backwards up stream. It is one cool project that is going to cost millions but if it re-establishes passage it's worth it. :smile:

1pump · 02-20-2004, 11:12 PM

Cool!

Makes me wanna shove my boat over that log boom below the dam and fish the forbidden water. :grin:

I've jigged a bit down there but never caught anything quite like that. :shocked: