Fish (Bait) Identification

[NKlamerus]

The smallmouth are tearing up these small shad/shiners on the Umpqua but I'm not actually sure what they are. This years shad spawn but still juveniles? To me they look like a saltwater menhaden

This is the only decent enough one to take a photo of, fish spit it up

 

[O. mykiss]

I would say that is 100% a salmonid. It’s hard to say based on the state of digestion, but looks like a steelhead smolt. I can see small round spots near the dorsal like a rainbow

 

[NKlamerus]

Never would have guessed but it does makes sense, now to match the hatch

 

[O. mykiss]

Never would have guessed but it does makes sense, now to match the hatch

My wife worked on a fish trap at the mouth of the grande ronde river in Washington trapping and tagging smolt. While she was there they fished a lot for smallmouth. The best bait was a swim bait that looked like an outmigrating smolt

 

[hobster]

I have a good friend who lives on the Umpqua and kills every smallmouth he catches. He just throws them back in the river for the birds. I find it hard to just kill a fish for no reason but this is good proof as to why he does it. I think I’m gonna start joining him

 

[plumbertom]

I have a good friend who lives on the Umpqua and kills every smallmouth he catches. He just throws them back in the river for the birds. I find it hard to just kill a fish for no reason but this is good proof as to why he does it. I think I’m gonna start joining him

Okay to kill your catch, but why not fillet and eat them?
While large and small mouth are called Black bass, they are in fact sunfish like green perch (shell cracker) Bluegill and crappie.
They taste like sunfish as well, with firm white flesh.
I'd add that in most states it's a violation to waste sport caught game fish, even invasive species, and can bring a hefty fine should a warden see you do it.

 

[hobster]

I used to see bunches of smallmouth thrown on the bank to die, and it kind of disturbed me, but now I know why they’re doing it. The smallmouth are destroying the salmon and steelhead runs. I have friends who like to eat smallmouth, but I am not a fan. I’m not too worried about the game warden, it should be encouraged to kill smallies to save our native fish.

 

[plumbertom]

I used to see bunches of smallmouth thrown on the bank to die, and it kind of disturbed me, but now I know why they’re doing it. The smallmouth are destroying the salmon and steelhead runs. I have friends who like to eat smallmouth, but I am not a fan. I’m not too worried about the game warden, it should be encouraged to kill smallies to save our native fish.

Not disputing your actions,
I just hate to see the waste.
If I were better able to get out and knew the rivers, I'd do my level best to eliminate the small mouth as a threat. But alas, the costs of fuel have kept me from going as much as I'd like, not to mention I don't get around over rough surfaces all that good these days.
I don't fish salmon, mainly because of the cost involved. Also, I'm not a big fan of salmon unless it's smoked. So I understand your lack of enthusiasm for eating the bass.
But I do love to eat small mouths and just about any other sunfish.

 

[maxwyatt]

When I catch smallies on the Umpqua, they all get filleted, even the small ones. The salmonids need all the help they can get.

Small small mouths make for good fish tacos.

 

[hobster]

Not disputing your actions,
I just hate to see the waste.
If I were better able to get out and knew the rivers, I'd do my level best to eliminate the small mouth as a threat. But alas, the costs of fuel have kept me from going as much as I'd like, not to mention I don't get around over rough surfaces all that good these days.
I don't fish salmon, mainly because of the cost involved. Also, I'm not a big fan of salmon unless it's smoked. So I understand your lack of enthusiasm for eating the bass.
But I do love to eat small mouths and just about any other sunfish.

Hey no worries, I appreciate your input. You’ve been here a while and I like and respect your posts. I am still a bit torn, it does seem wasteful and I hate to kill fish for no reason, but I think it would be doing our native fish population some good

 

[SparkyofSoCal]

Tossing the few you catch is not going to help nothing currently, the smallmouth is there for good. It will take more money than can ever acquire to eradicate. Tossing on the bank is now a psychological thing

 

[plumbertom]

Tossing the few you catch is not going to help nothing currently, the smallmouth is there for good. It will take more money than can ever acquire to eradicate. Tossing on the bank is now a psychological thing

Maybe, but every smallie harvested is one less to eat those smolts.
So, by that standard, taking even one of them out of the water does help the survival of salmonids.
Eradicating them isn't really the goal, controlling their population is why you want to promote their harvest.

 

[jamisonace]

Tossing the few you catch is not going to help nothing currently, the smallmouth is there for good. It will take more money than can ever acquire to eradicate. Tossing on the bank is now a psychological thing

If by "not going to help nothing" you mean going to help something, I agree. Although, it is probably an incalculably small something. I disagree with your assessment of the cost. The state has boats they are using to shock the Coquille for bass. Volunteers could pull 10's of 1,000's of bass a day out and turn them into crab bait or fertilizer or whatever. They'll never be gone forever but it would make a difference for the smolt.

There is a video on youtube of dozens of volunteers alongside Utah Fish and Wildlife employees shocking the Green River in Utah to count and release trout. I could be wrong but I want to say they are netting 20k trout a night. Not sure but 20k bass a day over a few months might help.

 

[Javarock]

Birds have to eat. Bugs have to eat. Not saying I would kill arbitrarily but no dead animal is ever really wasted. We humans do tend to be emotional about these sorts of things though.