11-03-2015, 07:56 PM
[quote TT600]Do they taste any good when colored like that? [/quote]
Yes!!
As wormandbobber mentioned, the coloration is due to diet, not spawning activity.
Boulder Mountain lakes are famous for the abundance of amphipods (ie: freshwater shrimp). Fish have a lot in common with flamingos. Why do flamingos turn pink? Because they eat a lot of crustaceans loaded with ceroten. That's what turns them pink. Amphipods are also loaded with ceroten, which causes the fish that eat them to have very brilliant colors, and also causes their flesh to turn vibrant orange as well.
More pics. #1 is a splake from Blind in June. Again, it is very vibrantly colored:
![[Image: IMG_9116_zpsmcewrcap.jpg]](http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k32/PowerBaitHeppy/IMG_9116_zpsmcewrcap.jpg)
pic #2 is a splake from Joe's Valley, which has no amphipods. It is a very bland (but big!) splake:
![[Image: Pops%20holding_zpsrnaqfbi3.jpg]](http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k32/PowerBaitHeppy/Pops%20holding_zpsrnaqfbi3.jpg)
I would take my chances eating that very colorful splake over the bland colored splake any day!
[signature]
Yes!!
As wormandbobber mentioned, the coloration is due to diet, not spawning activity.
Boulder Mountain lakes are famous for the abundance of amphipods (ie: freshwater shrimp). Fish have a lot in common with flamingos. Why do flamingos turn pink? Because they eat a lot of crustaceans loaded with ceroten. That's what turns them pink. Amphipods are also loaded with ceroten, which causes the fish that eat them to have very brilliant colors, and also causes their flesh to turn vibrant orange as well.
More pics. #1 is a splake from Blind in June. Again, it is very vibrantly colored:
pic #2 is a splake from Joe's Valley, which has no amphipods. It is a very bland (but big!) splake:
I would take my chances eating that very colorful splake over the bland colored splake any day!
[signature]