Maitland July 9 same spot different results 🙄

[gilfisher]

Started out in same the area as the last 2 outings 80 to 90 fow south of tecumseh. I noticed right away the thermocline had disappeared but the bait balls and some marks were still present. The lake was flat and the bugs were hatching and clinging not real bad tho. The bite was slow we ended up with 2 bows in box 1 farm animal and lost 1 mid way in after some acrobatics and several knock offs with the harness stripped of worm. Anyway 1 of the male bows was in full blown spawn colours which I thought was strange for this time of year. All in all it was a good morning to be out with a buddy that haven't fished with for awhile cheers

 

[gilfisher]

Started out in same the area as the last 2 outings 80 to 90 fow south of tecumseh. I noticed right away the thermocline had disappeared but the bait balls and some marks were still present. The lake was flat and the bugs were hatching and clinging not real bad tho. The bite was slow we ended up with 2 bows in box 1 farm animal and lost 1 mid way in after some acrobatics and several knock offs with the harness stripped of worm. Anyway 1 of the male bows was in full blown spawn colours which I thought was strange for this time of year. All in all it was a good morning to be out with a buddy that haven't fished with for awhile cheers View attachment 60033View attachment 60034

July 8

 

[Fish Farmer]

Way to go Dave I'm heading out in the morning, I think you know where I'll be to start. Another buddy and club member will be there as well.

 

[done working]

Hey Gilfisher, pretty sure that the dark fish is a salmon, likely a coho. Check the two fish and you can see that the mouth on the rainbow is white and the mouth on the salmon is dark. Coho's have dark lips and light inside the mouth and chinook have dark lips and dark in the mouth. The shape of the head is a little different as well. I have been seeing that there have been lot more salmon being caught this year, which is odd. Either way, nice fish, tight lines.

 

[gilfisher]

Hey Gilfisher, pretty sure that the dark fish is a salmon, likely a coho. Check the two fish and you can see that the mouth on the rainbow is white and the mouth on the salmon is dark. Coho's have dark lips and light inside the mouth and chinook have dark lips and dark in the mouth. The shape of the head is a little different as well. I have been seeing that there have been lot more salmon being caught this year, which is odd. Either way, nice fish, tight lines.

I hear what your saying..but was 100% rainbow ..tail was completely covered in spots and other identifying factors..

 

[Josh Roelofsen]

Hey Gilfisher, pretty sure that the dark fish is a salmon, likely a coho. Check the two fish and you can see that the mouth on the rainbow is white and the mouth on the salmon is dark. Coho's have dark lips and light inside the mouth and chinook have dark lips and dark in the mouth. The shape of the head is a little different as well. I have been seeing that there have been lot more salmon being caught this year, which is odd. Either way, nice fish, tight lines.

100% both Rainbows. Its the inside of the mouth you need to look at to distinguish between a Bow and a Salmon. Both Coho and Chinook have some darker colouring inside the mouth. A Coho has light gums, Chinook darker. Bows are snow white inside the mouth, never any darker colouring.

The tail of the fish in question ends any speculation.....Radiating rows of small spots is a Rainbow every time


Josh

 

[gilfisher]

100% both Rainbows. Its the inside of the mouth you need to look at to distinguish between a Bow and a Salmon. Both Coho and Chinook have some darker colouring inside the mouth. A Coho has light gums, Chinook darker. Bows are snow white inside the mouth, never any darker colouring.

The tail of the fish in question ends any speculation.....Radiating rows of small spots is a Rainbow every time
View attachment 60133

Josh

I guess the question becomes why would the colours be in full bloom spawn mode. Hope you can shed some light on that one Josh ..cheers

 

[Josh Roelofsen]

I guess the question becomes why would the colours be in full bloom spawn mode. Hope you can shed some light on that one Josh ..cheers

Theres a few possibilities.....one would be that fish was an escaped aquaculture fish from Lake Huron. They commonly wander long distances and can be 'ripe' just about any time of year.

Another would be that it was trapped upstream in a tributary and recently escaped. This is incredibly common on smaller waters. Fish get trapped for months sometimes and finally flush out after a thunderstorm or in some cases stay right through till fall.

The Grand even has some year round residents. And its not at all uncommon to have fish migrating upstream and colouring up after a late July storm. They can make it to the safety of Whitemans cooler waters incredibly quickly.

It could also be (and this is the most likely answer by the fishes appearance) just a genetic anomaly from a US hatchery whose hormones have caused it to mature at an odd time of year.

Theres alot of mixed up genetics at work in great lakes Rainbows. Life cycles can vary alot from fish to fish and anomalies like that fella aren't at all unheard of.

Josh

 

[gilfisher]

Theres a few possibilities.....one would be that fish was an escaped aquaculture fish from Lake Huron. They commonly wander long distances and can be 'ripe' just about any time of year.

Another would be that it was trapped upstream in a tributary and recently escaped. This is incredibly common on smaller waters. Fish get trapped for months sometimes and finally flush out after a thunderstorm or in some cases stay right through till fall.

The Grand even has some year round residents. And its not at all uncommon to have fish migrating upstream and colouring up after a late July storm. They can make it to the safety of Whitemans cooler waters incredibly quickly.

It could also be (and this is the most likely answer by the fishes appearance) just a genetic anomaly from a US hatchery whose hormones have caused it to mature at an odd time of year.

Theres alot of mixed up genetics at work in great lakes Rainbows. Life cycles can vary alot from fish to fish and anomalies like that fella aren't at all unheard of.

Josh

Thanks Josh

 

[done working]

Thanks Josh, I could not zoom in on the tail, was just going on the larger picture and the colour/shape of the head. I got tricked a couple of years ago on Erie when I got what I thought was a rainbow in the fall until I cleaned it and it was full of ripe ready to lay eggs, looked closer and it was a salmon. I will look closer next time.

 

[Josh Roelofsen]

Thanks Josh, I could not zoom in on the tail, was just going on the larger picture and the colour/shape of the head. I got tricked a couple of years ago on Erie when I got what I thought was a rainbow in the fall until I cleaned it and it was full of ripe ready to lay eggs, looked closer and it was a salmon. I will look closer next time.

Plenty of fall spawning Rainbow in Erie Pennsylvania fish in particular are commonly fall spawners. I wouldn't use loose eggs in the fall as an indication of Salmon. Tho there are plenty of Salmon on some creeks. I've had a couple days with double digit Coho hookups the past few years on Erie creeks....

Josh