Releasing downhill runners

[jamisonace]

I posted my comment before I saw your post so I hope you don't think I was giving you a hard time.

I have no problem with any of these scenarios and would be most likely to keep one for reason A. And if it's not decent quality....compost or crab bait.

I've never kept a spawned out fish (was just sort of thinking it through in my post above), and I don't plan to, but some possible reasons for others might be:

A) it's a steelhead that looks more or less freshly spawned and still has some meat and you figure it might smoke up OK, B) you suspect that for whatever reason your fighting or handling it might cause it to die anyway, C) because you have it out for all hatchery fish, D) you want to see for yourself what the meat quality is like in that particular fish because someone telling you on an online forum that it will suck isn't enough to satisfy your curiosity, or E) it's a huge monster spawned out steelhead and even though it looks sort of like a giant eel you want to take it home and show it off to yo mama.

 

[hobster]

Lots of good info here. Haven't seen anything to disagree with.

My opinion: If it's a mandatory retention thing, that fish is going straight to compost or becoming crab bait. Call me a food snob but I wouldn't feed my family a post spawn fish. Otherwise it's going back in the river to run the seal gauntlet a second time. The more adults in the system the better as far as I'm concerned.

It is true that steelhead brighten back up and look fresh on their way down so it can hard to tell before you cut it.

+2

 

[hobster]

I work in fisheries policy and might have the unpopular opinion here, but there should be more mandatory hatchery retention, especially a hatchery downrunner. We are all aware that hatchery fish are generally weaker than native broodstock. A hatchery downrunner is one that didn't hit a fish trap as intended and spawned in the creek, thus proven to be diluting native stock. I feel a lot of the fisheries management community would agree that there's a strong case for removing that fish regardless of its food value.

However, since most systems allow C&R of hatchery fish, what you do with a downrunner is up to you. I'm definitely not going to get on anyone's case for releasing a mushy fish.

Great point. My only question is why all downrunners have to be fish that have spawned in the creek. They release all of the fish at the trap back into the river, so some may have done what they are suppossed to do. Also, if it is a downrunner and has already spawned, why not just let it try to survive? The fish has already spawned so killing it won't help from spawning with natives, the deed is done.

 

[BamaDan]

Well you got me there. I had no idea they would open the trap up for post-spawn fish. Everything just can't be as cut and dry as we want it to be can it?

 

[GaryP1958]

How did you think 30 plus lb steelhead get that big!

 

[Dizzy Fisherman]

How did you think 30 plus lb steelhead get that big!

From the studies that have been conducted the really big fish are mostly first time spawners.

 

[troutdude]

E) it's a huge monster spawned out steelhead and even though it looks sort of like a giant eel you want to take it home and show it off to yo mama.

Not meannig to hijack...but damn THAT IS FUNNY!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[troutdude]

not trying to hijack the thread but I learned from my BIL that Washington recently made it mandatory to retain hatchery steelhead on many streams...

2015/2016 WA Regs book:
"Mandatory Hatchery Steelhead Retention - ...an additional measure was made to provide protection to fish stocks in streams where there is concern about hatchery and wild fish spawning together. This measure..requires that anglers keep the hatchery steelhead they catch. To encourage anglers to harvest more hatchery steelhead as the fish arrive back to natal streams/release sites, for many streams the daily limit increases from 2 to 3 hatchery steelhead.
For streams where this rule applies, you will see: Mandatory Hatchery Steelhead Retention directly below the water listing."

VERY Interesting and logical. opcorn:

 

[plumb2fish]

The world record line caught steelhead was actually a triploid( meaning it had no sex organs) and was caught in the ocean(Sitka sound). Having no sex organs it had no "drive" to return to a river....
I have caught hens that were lower river spawners with long tailed sealice on them and had already. dumped their load...winter steelhead taste like mud, but they are sure fun to catch and my neighbors like em....

 

[troutmasta]

my neighbors like em....

There it is! X2!

 

[jamisonace]

steelhead isn't my favorite anyway but I never knew that winters weren't considered good table fare. Good to know.

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

Steelhead don't get much bigger after going back to the ocean. They are mature and pretty much as big as they will get when they return the first time. The very large steelhead spend more years in the Ocean before returning, not by returning multiple times.

 

[Steelheader4Life]

winter steelhead taste like mud, but they are sure fun to catch and my neighbors like em....[/QUOTE]

Anything will taste bad if you don't have a quality product to begin with. I love steelhead, you just have to know how to prepare it!!

 

[plumb2fish]

Exactly my point, winter steel head are an ocean maturing fish, thus very low in omega 3 by the time they get to the river. I am not a fan of the flavor of the flesh of winters. I have caught enough to have formed my opinion. Your mileage may vary...

 

[bubs]

winter steel head are an ocean maturing fish, thus very low in omega 3 by the time they get to the river.

I was wondering if you could explain what you mean here because I'm not following this logic - not trying to argue or anything, just don't know much about their biology and am genuinely curious as to what you mean.

 

[DrTheopolis]

I don't get the hate for winters. Sure, they don't retain their nice flavor as long as summers do, but a nice fresh winter is plenty tasty.

It's my understanding that bucks generally don't try to run back to sea, just hens.

 

[C_Run]

I like 'em just fine and have no problem releasing scrawny ones to live on.

 

[OnTheDrop]

I give 75% of the fish I actually catch away. Last winter, I gave some one who is very well versed in eating Salmon and other freshwater fish, and they said it was the best piece of fish they have ever ate. This wasn't a ocean fresh fish, as it was caught on the Clackamas.

I Remember thinking that was weird, as I've literally gave this person a Spring Chinook that was swimming in the ocean hours earlier. My theory is that this fish are some damn good stuff growing up....

Anyone else ever had a awesome piece of Winter Steel?

 

[DrTheopolis]

Maybe it's a timing/feed thing. I've caught winters that cut as red as any salmon, and tasted just as good. And every now and the, you can get a somewhat bland tasting one.

 

[bubs]

Yea man...fresh & smoked. My favorite smoked fish ever was steely buck I caught earlier this year, not the brightest fish either for sure.

No offense intended to anyone who posted on this thread, but quite a few times in my life have I heard someone say something like "I don't eat spicy food" or "Budweiser gives me a headache" or something like that, then slowly realize that it's untrue and they actually like it...it's just the way people are, to develop hard & fast rules about what they do or don't like.