Uh.....I think they like them.

 

I've heard that it's a natural instinct for them to pick them up in there mouths and carry them upstream with them to deposit them somwhere suitable. I don't know if theres any truth to it or not.

 

In a natural river environment (like you still find in Alaska) eggs are a natural and essential building block in the food chain, the whole system revolves around the life of the salmon.

A young fish is programed to feed on eggs, probably the richest source of protein in the river. Just like humans have a taste for sugar fish are wired to like eggs. In fact all fish eggs are sought after by other fish-bass have to protect their nest and eggs from other fish that pray on bass eggs.

The chemicals help to disperse the scent (protein and fat) into the water and the dye is there for added vis.

As for trying to destroy other fish's eggs or putting them back in the nest....don't give these dumb animals more credit than they deserve. Their brains aren't big enough to grasp doing that stuff.....

 

:shocked:

They are hungry, you swim from the coast to your home river you well br hungry too. :shrug:

 

I took an ichthiology class in college and was told by my professer when I asked the same question that it was a natural instinct for them ,nothing to do with knowledge, to eat eggs to destroy other fishes eggs ie natural selection. If other fishes eggs are destroyed then the fish that is destroying eggs has a better chance that its eggs are going to survive. This happens in all species thus the phrase Only The Strong Survive. Every animal has the instinct to want its genes to be passed on to the next generation we cant help it it is a way of life.

 

I wanted to reply to my post, saying that even though I was told this It isnt the only reason I think they bite eggs just part of it. Chemicals play a huge role in fish biting thus the reason people cure eggs with chemicals, they may crave salt or sugar or whatever.When curing eggs the eggs rejuice the chemicals added and then when fished slowly release these chemicals allowing the fish to smell these chems. which in turn intices the fish to bite the eggs. Eggs are very good product for this process but people use other methods such as yarn or rags but its the same idea. Another big factor is dyes in eggs they make a big difference too, alot of times if you have a dye that is a bit different from everybody else it can make a big difference too. Hope this helps and its just my take on the subject.

 

David,

It's an interesting questions since most critters are hardwired not to eat their own species including the eggs.

I wonder if the biologists have ever done a study on the young salmon eating salmon eggs.

That would be the only time salmon have seen salmon eggs.

Brion

 

My 2 cents~ I talked with Gramps last year when I picked up the bug to fish for the big fish...he said that they are grabbing them...not to eat them but to replant them in the nest. I know we all think they don't have that thought pattern in that tiny little melon of theirs...but that's what the old timer...Grandpa says.....a natural instinct to do this. He told me to catch one and check out his stomach..you'll see that there isn't a bunch of eggs in there...so they aren't feeding on the eggs...just replanting them.....

 

Interesting discussion. Considering the size of a fish's brain, it's clearly some kind of instint. Survival of the fittest type stuff. "Only my eggs are safe from me".

Even Okies and Corkies with no scent and a wide variety of colors are eaten presumabaly because they represent egg clusters. If it wasn't for us offering them clusters the only eggs an adult would ever see would be individual eggs not landing in the nest from another spawning pair. By that time they are all so intent on spawning they wouldn't eat anything anyway.

I suppose the next logical question would be this. If you bobber fish is fairly quiet water, would they take chunks of the milk sack taken from the males. Clearly toughness would be issue but if you took the milk sack from fish not ready to spawn or from jacks it might work. Has anyone tried it? Is there a way to toughen up the membrane? :whazzup:

 

Fisherfield, we got one yesterday that "accidentally" swallowed not only my eggs but a 4/0 owner hook! If she was only trying to move my eggs she really goofed :smile:

 

I'd like to ask any one who says they are just protecting the eggs to look at 90% of the salmon we catch with the hook, line and eggs down the throught and tell me they don't eat eggs :wink:

I still think they are just big, dumb trout and their brain isn't big enough to think about other fish, survival of the fittest etc. Besides, there are no nests or eggs around in the Willamette and they goble up egg clusters out there. And if they are just picking up the eggs to put them back into the nest or whatever why do they like to protect some guys cure over another?

Hatchery fish will never see eggs when they are big or small but they still like them, kind of like if an Eskimo was given a peice of pineapple, they may have never had it before but I'm sure they would like it....

I was pulled over on the bank today cleaning off and tossing the used eggs on my hooks into the water and watching the smolt attack them like they were parina, so when I cleaned our fish I tried this experiment and riped up some skeins of springer eggs from the fish we were cleaning and tossed them to the smolts, they were only about 1/3 interested with the fresh eggs as they were with the cured ones. Also, they hardly touch the sand shrimp.....

[ 05-21-2003, 06:07 PM: Message edited by: David Johnson ]

 

I agree with DJ on this one. They eat out of instinct/survival. I have been bobber fishing a lot in the last week and had the same results Dave did, smolts will clean you out of Eggs and barely touch the Sand shrimp. Also had a good time watching them pick the last few eggs out of and old skien eveytime we changed bait. I have caught fish that have had eggs in their guts, usually a fished we missed earlier in the day. But still had bait in its stomoach. Caught Steelhead with all kinds of stuff in them. Salmon and Steelhead are not activly looking for food but will feed if it is presented to them. My .02

 

DJ, I had to laugh at your question .."why do they like to protect one guy's cure over another"? It makes the point that they eat what tastes good, and some guy's know the secret. Also your observation that smolt are more interested in cured eggs rather than in fresh ones is worth some thought. I guess it goes right back to what tastes good. Sulfites, sugar, brown sugar, salt, borax, etc. With the exception of borax, what tastes good to a salmon tastes good to me too. Wish I could figure out a way to make chocolate ice cream clusters. :laugh:

 

My whole point on this subject is spawning fish will eat eggs to ensure the survival of their genes when the salmon are spawning and it is usually single eggs, try going up to marmot in july or august and drift a single corkie through any water and I know you will bang salmon. My other point was chems and dyes and in my opinion fresh salmon bite baits out of chemical wants, insinctual bites or reaction bites and this time of year on any tributary that holds a good run of salmon backbouncing eggs with killer scent and a sand shrimp is an awsome bet!!

 

>>>Their brains aren't big enough to grasp doing that stuff.....<<<

Good thoughts from a great fisherman, DJ you are soooo right.
From my experiences in the NW AND AK all fish are programmed to eat eggs. They are so inclined to do so that they will readily hit anything that is ROUND, i.e. corkies, FF'ed glo bugs and even pick up split shot attatched to leaders on tippets whilst ignoring the pretty fly attatched below.
For example, I have stood on the bank above spawning chums on the Miami and watched early Winter fish grouped behind them chowing eggs.
I also have to wonder the real reason we get a short/quick shot of early Summer fish on many streams that are on the tail-end of the wild Winter run. I've caught many a Summer fish in April that was stuffed with single eggs.
Fun topic no doubt. Just goes to show we don't always have these critters totally figured out.

 

It's simple- Eggs are protien and most of the animal life on this planet is keyed into this. Worms/grubs and insects come in a close 2nd, albeit bugs are one of the building blocks of the lower end of the food chain due to their abundance, but eggs are just so luxurious (caviar anyone?) that they can't be resisted. I've even witnessed jack salmon in the fall, ramming ripe adult hens in the side then dropping back to snatch the eggs that got knocked loose. Just Ma Nature doing her thing.

 

I'd always heard that they eat the eggs because they were protecting their offspring, ie; the salmon doesn't want any other species feeding on eggs and knowing how good they taste, but I'll take the good guides advice and run with that.

 

BrionLutz, don't get any cooky ideas like that. Next thing you know the Oregon Legislature will be telling the ODFW to look for a state biologist who could answer this very tough question regarding eggs with a two year, 10 million dollar budget.

Perhaps during that two years he could learn Klingon and transfer to Multnomah County.


---D

 

PittsburghD:

..don't get any cooky ideas like that.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Did you mean "corkie ideas" <grin>.

It is a fascinating question. Salmon are such a bizarre species.

Here they are, dying to get up river to spawn, eating their own eggs (a bit counterproductive), when they aren't eating for food.

Mature salmon eggs are not something salmon would see in nature. Do the fry start eating the other salmon eggs the moment they hatch? Do the smolts eat the eggs of the new generation salmon eggs?

Maybe salmon are more cannibalistic than we know.

Be fun to know.

Brion

 

I think they are very cannibalistic and the fry/smolts are right there eating the eggs of the next generation as they are being layed.

Two springs ago we caught a spring chinook jack on the NF Lewis and it was full of three inch long salmon fry.

I've also caught silvers in saltwater in Alaska that were full of smolts.

Also, a budy of mine was doing a ********* study on the Columbia for the government and they were using a set line to catch *********. They were using dead smolts from the hatchery for bait and they caught a few summer steelhead.

MadMike mentioned how the are keyed into eating things that are round, this morning there was a red corkie floating by the boat and the smolts were taking wacks at it like it was a fly.

[ 05-22-2003, 11:48 AM: Message edited by: David Johnson ]

 

Another reason besides they taste good is competition to their off spring. Bouncing or drifting eggs or anything for that matter, into a bunch of fish with a good cure will usually find the eager biters.

 

If you were hiding out in a nice safe dark spot, and suddenly a big fat juicy cheeseburger showed up in front of your nose , you'd probably nibble on it a bit too. :grin:

Fresh eggs may not be as completely effective as cured eggs, but I have limited the boat with "raw" eggs when in a pinch before. :dance:

Chris

 

You know what's funny I live up here in Oregon and my dad's dad and family moved to Roseburg Oregon in 1941 they were from Texas didn't know it damn thing about fishing for salmon but thank God my grandpa like to go out here to the North Umpqua and chat with some of these old boys and learned how to back bounce nobody knows the yard anymore doesn't anybody understand Salmon eggs are the only thing if you know how to cure them and you know how to back bounce you will catch salmon all day long if you put it right in front of them if they're there they will without a doubt take it down enough said