Brutestock?

[goodie]

I was fishing a favorite coastal stream last wednesday and I hooked a nice steelhead came out to 21 lbs. after we bled it. What a fight. The broodstock are definitely in. What would make this steelhead so big? I realize genetics are a big factor but this fish is almost twice as big as any other steelhead I've caught. Any ideas?

[Riverkeeper]

Wow, that is a BEAST

[Rank Amateur]

Genetics and a extra year or two in the ocean!

[SlackBite]

Wow, that's nice. Look at the tail on that thing...

[junkyardjeff]

Check the color on that one...rainbow! :blush:

[Navigator]

Nice fish!

The fish may be a return spawner. That is, spawned (or at least came upriver with that idea in his head), then returned to the salt, and now on the second journey. (Who says a fish with a pea size brain can't keep his priorities right?). Or like Rank Amateur said - just stayed in that there ocean a couple more years.

[Fishin Magician]

looks like the one I released twice on tuesday below mills bridge....did he have 2 hook marks on the right top side of his mouth...?



John

[goodie]

I dont believe its the same fish, I didn't see any other holes in its mouth, and it looks like your fish has more of an adipose than the one I landed. The fish in my picture was 34 inches long and had a pretty wide spanned tail. Under water its hard to see all of the features, color looks similar though. Do you have a picture of it above the water? The fish seemed full of energy too, it took me about 20 minutes to land him.

[Fishin Magician]

We never removed it from the water....it was a broodstock fish also. Good Job....

[goodie]

That was probably the most exciting fish fight of my life, and by far my largest steelhead. I wanted to take him home so I would never forget him, though I wish he could've spawned again too. Tough call. He is tasty though, grilled up some tonight and he was quite good. Maybe after I've caught few 20 lb fish it will be easier to release them. Who wouldn't want to see more of them in the river.
Looks like we might be neighbors, I live in Forest Grove too.

[sparkleboy]

though I wish he could've spawned again too.

I'm glad that wish didn't come true.

[ssteelheadsteve]

Return spawners usually come back close to the same size that they were on their first spawning run.

[goodie]

Thats interesting, I wasn't aware of that. I assumed they would just get bigger every year.

[Salmonator]

I would guess that it was a first year spawner since the great majority of 2 spawn fish are females. At 34" that fish must have had incredible girth to make 21 lbs...

[Crayfin]

HUH? Tell that to the folks that are paying 10k to go fish Kamchatka for steelies where the average over half of their steelhead areon their second or better run

[Dakotan]

Well done Adam. Great fish.

[rola76]

Big Dog!!

[David Johnson]

Return spawners usually come back close to the same size that they were on their first spawning run.

True, they use up so much of themselves that it takes a lot to get back to what they were.

I would guess that it was a first year spawner since the great majority of 2 spawn fish are females.

True, the hens get it done and head back out but the bucks hang out looking for the ladies and end up spening too much time in stream.

HUH? Tell that to the folks that are paying 10k to go fish Kamchatka for steelies where the average over half of their steelhead areon their second or better run

Maybe it's because the natives in Russia can kill seals They may also have some shorter river systems so they can get back to sea quicker/easier. The fish on our smaller coastal rivers have a much higher returning success rate too.

From the pic it looks like a first time spawning. Many times if they are repeat spawners you can see healed fin/tail erosion on them.

[Crayfin]

Dave, always words of wisdom from the man. I guess I always fell for the urban myth that things get bigger the older they get. I know I have :grin:

[rock bottom]

Now THATS a biggun