Kelts runbacks

[cobias]

Over the years i have seen a lot of people posting pics of kelt or runback spawned out hatchery steelhead here and on other forums. Both summer and winter. They are not really worth keeping. If its someone's first fish , thats cool but otherwise they aren't worth a darn for eating. If you let them go and they survive another couple of years in the ocean , they come back even bigger !

There are kelts running back in most steelhead rivers right now. Summers are headed back and some hatch winters are already heading back. If they are snaky and have no girth in their bellys ( especially hens ) LET THEM GO ! Youll feel good you did and you wont go through the messy trouble of cleaning them only to find white mushy flesh.

Look at it as you planting another steelhead that will be returning in a couple of years.

Also, dont believe the hype of " we must kill all hatchery fish caught. They are genetically impure. " I bet people would be surprised of how many wild fish today have hatchery roots. Let em spawn !

 

[hunt-fish-trap]

I agree 100 % the only way I will keep one is if its a bleeder and then it goes to the smoker.

 

[tomriker]

what's "kelts" and "runbacks"

 

[Mad dog]

what's "kelts" and "runbacks"

Downriver fish.

 

[eat, sleep, fish]

what's "kelts" and "runbacks"

Steelhead that have already spawned, and are heading back to the ocean. It's pretty easy to tell them apart for someone that catches quite a few steelhead, but can be difficult for someone who hasn't caught many. They tend to get chrome again, but you can tell by their sagging belly. Here's a good example...


You can tell that it looks very "snaky"

If you let them go and they survive another couple of years in the ocean , they come back even bigger !

That's actually a common misnomer. Steelhead that are repeat spawners come back almost the size as their first spawning run. The trip takes so much energy out of them, that they only put back on what they lost by the next year. However, they do come back much more fertile. From what I remember they produce something around twice as many eggs the next go around. That means a hen on her first trip may produce 1500 eggs, while one on her second trip will produce around 3000. It's also mainly hens that are repeat spawners. Males tend to completely exhaust themselves spawning with multiple females. It's somewhere in the neighborhood of only 1-5% of males survive.

 

[tomriker]

oh nice, thanks for the clarify. the only salmon i've ever caught was in the ocean so my knowledge on any river business is limited to what i read on here im more of a lake fisher

 

[cobias]

Steelhead that have already spawned, and are heading back to the ocean. It's pretty easy to tell them apart for someone that catches quite a few steelhead, but can be difficult for someone who hasn't caught many. They tend to get chrome again, but you can tell by their sagging belly. Here's a good example...


You can tell that it looks very "snaky"




That's actually a common misnomer. Steelhead that are repeat spawners come back almost the size as their first spawning run. The trip takes so much energy out of them, that they only put back on what they lost by the next year. However, they do come back much more fertile. From what I remember they produce something around twice as many eggs the next go around. That means a hen on her first trip may produce 1500 eggs, while one on her second trip will produce around 3000. It's also mainly hens that are repeat spawners. Males tend to completely exhaust themselves spawning with multiple females. It's somewhere in the neighborhood of only 1-5% of males survive.

You may be scientifically right on the return size , but i have hooked and seen some huge cliped summers- one on the Willamette below dexter and one at the hatchery hole on the Mckenzie. Both fish were lost and one we got close enough to see that it didn't have an adipose fin. My cousin banked one at the revetments in 09 that was obviously a regenerated adipose ( small fin but flat on top ) and it had to be pushing 16 - 17 lbs. I told him that it was a rerun hatch , he released it to be on the safe side. There is another photo/thread on ifish floating around that shows a guy with a huge clipped ( not broodstock ) winter steelhead caught on the Clack i think . Ill try to find it. I have also seen some hog hatch summers caught at the bank hole at Dexter boat landing. They could just be freak size hatch steelhead but i have my doubts.

 

[eat, sleep, fish]

I'm not saying that they don't get that big. The OP in Washington regularly puts out 20+ and even a few 30+ hatchery steelhead. Some may even be repeat spawners. However, they were with in a pound or two of that on their first spawning run.

It's always best to release downriver fish whether hatchery or wild. Their meat isn't edible, so why not give someone the chance to catch it next year.

 

[Santiam338]

The way it was explained to me by a guy that works at the Alsea hatchery is the larger than normal fish spend a extra year in the ocean before making their first spawning run...Likewise for the smaller than normal...They come a year early...

 

[Mad dog]

The way it was explained to me by a guy that works at the Alsea hatchery is the larger than normal fish spend a extra year in the ocean before making their first spawning run...Likewise for the smaller than normal...They come a year early...

2 salt vs. 3 salt....lot's of people do not understand what that means! 1 salt....most people would call a half pounder....not true....a true half pounder is not a 1 salt steelhead.