108 Pounds of Bull (Pic)

[Jimmy]

My first trip in 2004 was the best weekend of trout fishing in my life. I went fishing with my fishing partner at Lake Billy Chinook for Bull Trout. We fished Friday afternoon, 8 hours on Saturday and fished until noon on Sunday. We caught 12 Bull Trout with a total weight of a 108 pounds. My buddy caught 5 fish between 4-12 pounds with a total weight of 37.5lbs and I had my best catch of trout with my smallest one being 8 pounds and my largest Bull Trout ever being 15 pounds (Pictured). I caught 7 Bull Trout with a total of 70.5lbs. Why wait till the Metolius Arm opens in March when fishing is this good now. All but one of my Bull Trout were caught on a Black and Silver Rapala's. Hope to be back in a few weeks to try to come close to this weekends catch.

[ 01-27-2004, 06:20 AM: Message edited by: Jimmy ]

[Riverkeeper]

Holy Smokes, NICE FISH :shocked: [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

[ChuckDog]

ROCK ON!!! Bet the pole burried when those things hit! Do you need a downrigger or are you flatlining the Rap?

[spare link]

that is huge, nice fish

[ANDYCOHO]

WOW :shocked:

Nice Fish!!

Man it looks cold over there....

[Jimmy]

We caught most of the fish flat lining and a few fish down to 60 feet off the downriggers.Friday and today was very cold and Saturday warmed up to 40.Can't wait to go back.Had to chain up just to get down to the lake.

[nitroduk]

NICE FISH MAN!

[wootersen]

WOW !!!

[Fast Water]

Beauty!!

[David Johnson]

Very nice fish [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

But for those who don't know the bull trout is an endangered species in every western state and this is the only place that you can legally keep one. They should be handled very carefully when released and if any are kept moderation should be practiced.

I don't want to sound like I'm slammin' you, I just want to make sure the public is informed.

[ 01-11-2004, 11:30 PM: Message edited by: David Johnson ]

[jokester]

WOWSERS :shocked: That's a dandy! [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

-jokester

[Sublime]

wow! :shocked: Scary road in that kind of weather, pulling a boat!


Nice feeeeeeshes

[Jimmy]

David Johnson,

You are correct that these fish are endangered in the west,but Lake Billy Chinook has a very healthy population of Bull Trout. You can probably catch a 5 pound or better Bull trout anywhere on the lake. I do want to let the public also know that you can only keep one Bull Trout and it has to be over 24 inches long. This year the law also says that after keeping a Bull Trout you must stop fishing. In the past you could catch a Bull Trout and then fish for Kokanee or other types of fish in the lake.

[RussT]

Nice Fish. I was going to go there Sat. but the roads kept me away. I fished it hard last year, but my best was 9#.
RussT

[Fishin Magician]

Very nice fish Jimmy......... [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

[greenbuttskunk]

I'm with you David.
Beautiful fish there Jimmy. Getting the boat through the snow and ice was well worth it.
That's alot of weight you guys pulled from the icy
lake billy chinook. good job.

[corkyking]

Alberta F&W:
"Did you know the bull trout isn't really a trout? Instead, it belongs to a branch of the trout family called "chars," along with the lake trout, (eastern) brook trout, and Dolly Varden (which was once considered to be the same species as the bull trout) ."

The bold text shows up in several Gov't publications both US and Canada.

Anyone know why Dollys are lumped in with Bull Trout for closures if they aren't the same fish??

[greenbuttskunk]

I would think to avoid confusion. Bull trout are often called dollies, and vice versa, like in the metolius. yes, chars all have the characteristic
white tips on the lower fins. Even more pronounced during the spawn. Nothing prettier than a char in full spawn color.

[David Johnson]

I also think it's to avoid confusion.

The char family can be distinguished from trout in that they have light spots on dark background and trout have dark spots over lighter background.

Brook trout can be distinguished from bull trout in that they have the "worm like" markings on their back and bulls and dollies don't.

[kodiakfisher]

Nice fish, you can make out the white spots on this fish in Alaska these spots are generally more pink in color.

In Alaska at least on Kodiak often these dollies get in the way of salmon fishing but some of them can put up quite a fight. My dad recalls two very funny stories of me catching dollies.

Once a guy with his beer cooler had been fishing all day catching nothing. After work my dad takes me down to the river to fish for dollies. I'm now at the age were I like to "do it myself" I ask dad can I use one of your lures he says sure and I rummage around in his BASS tackle box and find something with cool colors on it and tie it on. I walked down to the water with the Zebco rod and feel give it a cast and bang fish on! Of course I have to let the whole bank know with my yelling a screaming. Reel it in put it on the stringer next cast fish on, third cast fish on, the guy next to me threw his pole down and said "I just wait until that little S.O.B. is done" at the time I for the life of me couldn't figure what sob meant [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img] figured it out later in life. Anyways I went seven casts seven fish. The limit was seven at the time or my dad was afraid I would be thrown in the river, so he took me home.

Second story he tells is while camping and walking back from the river with his drinking buddies, we are walking along the beach and I have nothing better to do than cast this same lure into the surf. My dad grumbles you're never going to catch anything out there. I don't care I have nothing better to do than to run ahead cast reel in and run ahead cast again with now my Mitchell 308 reel and ugly stick. Well you guessed it fish on and now I'm loosing line fast my dad yells run. I put the pole over my shoulder and run away from the water until I hit the drift wood and trees and fish gets washed up out of the surf. I of course wanted to see my fish so I drop the pole run back down about 80yds. Nobody seems to be sure what I have caught looks like a dolly but way to big. They say it was bigger than most sockeye salmon they had seen. I remember it being a good size fish and they claim about 7lbs but I don't know how sober they were either. I know it was half as long as my pole. The pole was probably about a 6' pole. What was funny is this happened on the very next cast after being told I wouldn't catch anything. :tongue: :grin: :grin:


BTW this is also my introductory story nobody bothered me about a fishing story on my first post probably because I made two or three the first night. :blush:

[David Johnson]

I knew they were called "vermiculation", I just didn't want to try and spell it [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

[garyk]

Jimmy, I really like fishing for Bulls too, and it was good you posted a pic of one as there haven't been too many shown so far.

But please tell us that you didn't hang all of the released Bulls from a scale like that, to come up with your weight totals?

[Snakebite]

What are you doing in my boat? I thought it was parked up behind the garage. How deep were you fishing those lures? Long way from Newport to go fishing, but the photo is compelling!

No worries,
Snakebite

[SHOUGALNITE]

[blacktail519]

WOW :shocked: I need to get int on that ! Nice fish

[Waterfish]

Jimmy,

I am curious -- what are those bull trout similar too on the table? Are they like eating a steelhead or a big rainbow? White, pink, or red meat?

[hankstr]

Very Nice Fish [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

[Jimmy]

Snakebite, We caught fish flat lining rapala's and down to 60 feet off the downriggers. Waterfish,Bull Trout taste great and has a deep red color.I have never tasted steelhead before,but the taste is close to salmon. Garyk, I almost didn't post a photo because of what I have seen happen to others that have. Before you judge me. Let me share with you what happened two years ago at Lake Billy Chinook. I was fishing for Bull Trout and caught a 6 pound 23 inch fish. The fish had swallowed most of the rapala and had cut up the gills very bad.With the minimum length at 24 inches I could not keep the fish.This was the only fish kill I have had in the past few years of fishing.I tossed the fish on shore thinking maybe a animal would eat it later.Did I fell bad about this ? Yes. We trolled back in the same area 15 minutes later to see a bald eagle eating the fish I had killed.How many people can say they have caught a meal for a bald eagle.In the worst case if I kill a fish and it dies.It will sink to the bottom and crawfish or other fish will feed on it. I take very good care of the fish I catch and will not release a fish until I know it will be ok.To answer your question I measure all my fish and weigh any fish over 20 inches.You may think this is wrong,but fishing is a sport of catching a animal with a hook.There will be times that fish bleed,get hurt and sometimes die.I make every effort to revive a fish before releasing it.Until it against the law to weigh fish I will do so.I am sure that there will be many people that disagree with my view.Sorry,but I think the three 2/0 owner treble hooks I have on most my rapala's will hurt the fish more than my scale. Can you till you hit a nerve.Thanks for letting me vent and I hope we can agree that we will never agree on this subject.

Jimmy

[blacktail]

Jimmy,

I guess my question would be is, in what manner are you weighing these fish before they are released?

Are you doing it in the same manner that you show in your pic you posted?

Mike

[Jimmy]

I weigh most fish the same way as the photo. I have looked at getting a cradle. Which would support the fish,but I personally don't think that I am hurting the fish anymore than I am with the hooks on the lure.Most of my fish swim away as soon as I put them in the water and just a few need a few minutes to be revived.

[Wood N' Fish]

Look Out Lake Billy Chinook----here we come!!!!!!!!

[BuKuBass]

The "worm-like" pattern is called "vermiculation".
It's my understanding the Dollies are found primarily found in the coastal areas while Bull trout are located more inland, altho I imagine there is some overlapping.

[CAPT KUJO]

VERY IMPRESSIVE :shocked:

[img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

CAPT KUJO

[DJFISHS2XS]

As for fish overlapping we have both bull and dollys up here in the Skagit river. Do you keep your one fish limit or do you C&R, Im just asking because last year I keept a dolly for the smoker, and it tasted ok but not great. Then the next fishing trip I figured out why they have such a strong taste, a chum washed down stream all rotten and breaking apart and there was a bunch of dollys just stuffing themselvess on the parts. droped a small spoon in the pac and the one I caught even smelled like a rotten chum...
are they different out of a lake or are they still ocean run fish???DJ

[alwyze fishin]

well said jimmy i am sure you touch a lot of nerves but that is why we all fish some will say they weigh there fish most want admit it

[tailchaser]

Congrats on the fish, but I have a feeling this one could get ugly from your last posts......I'm not going to hash anyone on this but you can get weights of fish by merely getting the length and girth of it. It might not be exact to the tenth, but who really cares about being that accurate. No flame intended, but there are other ways to weigh fish besides a large hook. One of the best ways to do it with your setup would be to weigh your net while the fish is in it. After releasing the fish weigh the net and find out how much the fish weighed without ever having to stick something in it's gills. Just because he swims away initially doesn't mean you didn't kill him. But try out some different methods and you might be suprised how easy it is.

tc

[ 01-13-2004, 09:30 AM: Message edited by: tailchaser ]

[skrimmy]

Tailchaser - I'd agree with you. There are easier ways to weigh or estimate the weight of a fish. I'm not flaming Jimmy here, just stating my own opinion. My guess, and then I'm not a biologist so don't know for sure, is that hanging the fish like that has to do some kind of damage, either skeletal or nerve damage. Get a length and girth and a picture of the fish as it's cradled in the water. To me, that just seems more sporting. I know I'll get flamed for my own opinion, but that's it's mine. If somebody can give factual evidence that it's not harmful to hang a fish that way, I'd be happy to change my opinion. Not like anyone cares about my opinion anyways.

Nice fish though Jimmy

[Jimmy]

I have seriously thought about using a cradle like the one pictured,but I think you would have to play out the fish to land it.Is a exhausted fish any better than a fish hanging from a scale ? Has any one used one of these? I didn't mean for this post to go down this direction,all I wanted to show is that you don't have to wait till March for the Metolius Arm to open to land a nice Bull trout.Both the Crooked arm and the Deschutes arm hold a lot of nice fish and are open year round.

[skrimmy]

Jimmy, don't take it wrong, nobody is flaming anyone even as sensitive as the topic could be. I think we're all doing a good job of keeping the topic civil and constructive and hope we learn along the way. I feel that a tired fish will revive much better than an injured fish. Not that the fish is injured, I'd just like somebody with good knowledge and facts on that to help us out here. If I'm wrong, I'd like to know.

[blacktail]

I'm not wanting to argue either, but why not just take a quick measurement and maybe snap a pic, then gently release the fish? Why bother hanging it from a scale or consider hanging it in a net to be weighed?

My personal opinion is that the possibility of permanently injuring or killing the fish should be considered more important than getting it weighed.

These are very important fish that have made an incredible rebound, they aren't cookie-cutter hatchery fish, so why not treat them as gently as possible?

Mike

[Thumper]

Who cares what they weigh? They are a beautiful, treasured fish. Be nice to them.

[Wood N' Fish]

I'm with Thumper-----be real nice to 'em-----and---"keep it on the down low side" Ch eer's-Good JOB!

[BentMetal]

Nice, nice fish. Good job Jimmy.

I always cringe when I see anybody pick a soon to be released fish up by their gills. I have seen it a lot, on catch and release fly only waters and hatchery holes on steelhead streams(the day after christmas, I watched a guy land a steelhead, gill it, and then asked if you could keep natives, NF Alsea), and even have seen it on fishing shows lately. Point is, it is a widespread occurence that many people seem to be doing.

To be honest, I don't have proof that it hurts the fish. I just always thought that the gills are the lungs of the fish, and they are pretty easy to damage so its best to keep your fingers out of there.

I too would be interested to hear for sure if it hurts a fish to gill it. I won't be doing it myself, but would feel better when I see it done.

[Arc burn]

Jimmy, Please keep your gill hanging photos and bragging to yourself regarding this particular body of water. The Confederated Tribes are frantically looking for a reason to ask ODFW to close Lake Billy Chinook between the months of October and April to protect "their" endangered species. If the indians say jump ODFW asks how high and how far. You may have just given them the reason to take another Central Oregon fishery away from us. "Believe me I know what I am talking about".

[ 01-26-2004, 08:56 PM: Message edited by: Arc burn ]

[Salmonator]

[ 01-27-2004, 04:49 AM: Message edited by: Salmonator ]

[garyk]

Salmonator, yeah folks have to learn - we all did.

But it sure doesn't help when publications like our own (and beloved [img]graemlins/hearton.gif[/img] ) STS prints a bunch of bozo, so-called 'released' pics like it does in this February's issue on pages 44, 46, 48, finishing with a chin-hang on p50.

No wonder folks don't know better.

[Chromaflage]

Never mind - someone already covered length/girth measurement

ORS

[ 01-26-2004, 11:20 PM: Message edited by: OregonRedside ]

[Jimmy]

Ok, I am sorry I posted the photo and it is gone now. Just to let you know that if you thought weighing the fish was so bad. I was over there again last weekend and two boats were using small Kokanee and Rainbows for bait to catch Bull Trout. Don't you think that the Bull Trout would swallow these making catch and release impossible? Maybe the rainbows are wild? Also another boat was fishing in the Metolious arm and when I told them that it was closed they kept fishing. I believe that Oregon Fish and Game is still taking suggestion for new laws for 2005. Maybe you can change it so weighing wild fish is against the law. As far as I am concerned this post is over.

Fish and Game Link

[DanS]

STS prints a bunch of bozo, so-called 'released' pics like it does in this February's issue on pages 44, 46, 48, finishing with a chin-hang on p50.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">I'll agree about the photo on pg. 50........that's no way to hold a fish prior to release. The fish on pg. 44 doesn't look like it's being handled badly, other than the net there's nothing too bad happening in the photo on pg.46, and I don't see anything wrong with the photo on pg 48 either.

So what gives?

[metalhead madness]

We're still kicking this dead horse

[David Johnson]

Jimmy,

Sorry you feel attacked but I'd have to say hanging a fish to be releases is a lot worse than hooking them on a couple 2/0 trebles as when they are hooked they are in the water where their organs and backbone can be supported.

I had hoped that pic was of a fish you kept. Too bad it wasn't.

[BeaverSprings Guide]

nice one, thanks for the info

[garyk]

Yo DanS,

What I'm seeing on the first three pics is that when looking at the total picture, distance from water, etc. ,the fish were likely kept out of the water too long while the shot was posed and composed. The fish have dripped dry. The chin-hang finale' amply illustrates those dudes don't know how to carefully handle steelys that are to be released.

Contrast those with the nice pic on p32 of Chris Vertopoulos, and Herzog on p38. Just a quick, short lift out of the water and CLICK. Water dripping from the gills, nice pic .

[eyeFISH]

Garyk

Excellent observations, sir. I would add the down-rolled eye to your list of things to look for in assessing the likelihood of survival after release... that lifeless, blank, straight-ahead stare is a bad prognostic sign... just like it is in humans.

The gillplate hang-hold is really hard on fish... its full weight gets concentrated on one focal point... right where the main-vein runs between the heart and the gills. Very susceptible to rupturing at that critical juncture. Ever notice how the blood doesn't start running down the side of a fish until its full weight has been suspended by the gillplate hang.

[DanS]

I dunno..........I think maybe you're being a little overly critical. Maybe not perfect release techniques.........but hardly worth calling anyone "bozo" over.