Here is a picture of my rainbow when I got it home. My son was all excited to see the fish and was upset he couldn’t keep it and that I had to cut it up to eat it. Those big fish sure give some thick fillets. I’m pretty sure this bow was a hatchery fish because some of his fins were worn off nubs similar to the normal hatchery fish.
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I don’t know where TubeDude was looking when he wasn’t seeing the millions of minnows that were in the water. I couldn’t believe how many 1 to 2 inch minnows were cruising around shore in and out of the rocks. This is a picture of just one of the pockets of minnows. I caught one of the minows and took some close up pictures of it to try to ID it. See the post about identifying Yuba’s minnows for these pictures.
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Along with my rainbow I caught a perch that was about 10 inches long and a carp that was about 2 pounds. The carp made an amazing escape when the rock I was standing on rolled and I ended up standing in the water. Thank goodness for gore tex boots.
The weather was awesome the morning of the trip up until we got back to Utah County and hit the rain storm. I must say I am not a big fan of spinning around on the freeway while watching other cars and hoping not to hit any of them. Here is a picture of CarpPunishers handy work to his car. You can see him by the side of the car and in the background, on the ground, you can see the sign post that attacked us. What a rush but I must say I prefer the rush of catching a fish over sliding across the freeway.
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Overall, even with the accident, it was a fun trip. I think Yuba is going to be a slow action fishery with potential for big fish. I just wonder if it will ice up!!!
CP reported on the walkie talkie that there were lots of minnows in there. That’s where they have been congregating the past few weeks and that is why the predators stay in that area.
**I did not see minnows around the more exposed areas of the lake, because there was no cover for them. However, there were a few last week and the fish were more spread out around the lake too, because there were minnows along the edges. This past Saturday, the storms or whatever had the minnows bunched up either tight in protective rock cover or else out deep. There were not any along the face of the dam. They must have been attracted to the BFT contingent fishing off the rocks. **
Nice bow. It was definitely a hatchery fish. The male bow I caught had all its fins and natural coloration. If it was not a naturally spawned fish, it recovered well from its origin in a hatchery. But, most of the ones we got last week were missing some fins too. They rub them off in the concrete raceways of the hatchery.
You can almost be 100% sure that ALL the rainbows caught were hatchery fish. The difference between the ones that have fins and the ones that don’t is simply the size/age of when they were stocked. Trout stocked as fingerling will have good fins and the appearance of a wild fish; however, trout stocked as catchables will often have deformed or stubby fins. Yuba is a very unlikely spot for natural reproduction of rainbow trout because it lacks the habitat necessary for them…the Sevier River also has very little or no natural reproduction of rainbow trout. Also, a quick check of past DWR stocking records will reveal that both catchable and fingerling trout are stocked in Yuba.
Agreed. There is not much suitable spawning gravel in the lower Sevier River. However, a fisheries officer on Saturday said that they had seen a lot of young rainbows in the river up by Richfield and Marysvale. They believe that a few fish made it up there last year in the high water and did the deed.
Actually, there is virtually no spawning habitat for rainbows in the entire Sevier River. Any wild rainbows found within the Sevier have come from small feeder streams. The small wild rainbows found around Marysvale are coming from Clear Creek and, Picnic Creek, Fish Creek, and other small creeks that enter the Sevier around Marysvale Canyon. Wild rainbows found around Richfield could also only come from this area…it is doubtful but possible that some of these wild fish have moved down to Yuba. The fish in your attachment is in all likelihood a fish stocked as a fingerling by the DWR…it is, however, nearly impossible to differentiate between stocked fingerling and wild fish.
**I have no reason to dispute anything you have said. You seem to have a better knowledge of the river system than I do. **
**Come to think of it, there may be reason to question the claims of the DWR guy. I overheard him telling a bank tangler that the minnows were “bullhead” minnows (rather than FAThead). **
And, I never really believed for a minute that my “finned” rainbow was anything other than a hatchery pet. However, there is something a bit more esthetically appealing to catching a fish that does not look like an escapee from Chernobyl.
Quit a report you have scrawled, Tubedude. I am delighted to see that you are entertaining yourself “playing” with my “hatchery pets”. I surprised to see that you and others would “digress” and resort to targeting the “slimers” you have resolutely chastised me about. I was wondering if you would like to borrow my powerbait from my well-stocked Barbie tackle box? I am particularly partial to the rainbow sparkle variety.
**I am unworthy. To have my puny efforts recognized and praised (although mildly) by the EXALTED ONE is far beyond what I might ever have expected. **
Your radiant influence has indeed reawakened the dormant passions I once held for troutkind. Thank you oh great commander, for showing me the enlightened path and leading me back to slimer salvation.
**Alas, I must decline your most generous offer, of access to your Barbie tackle box. I have not yet attained the degree of exaltation suitable for the use of “holy dough” (especially rainbow sparkle). I must be content with using my inferior hardware creations. **
I am attaching a picture of some of my humble troutski tidbits. I would be internally grateful if you would bestow your blessing upon them, so that I might more successfully dunk them in the holy waters inhabited by your special species.
Even better would be to arrange a personal session, in which you could view my awkward crafting, and perhaps offer your enlightened suggestions on potential improvements. Of course, I would expect to receive demonstrations of your own professional skills.
**I am especially keen on watching you walk upon the waters. I understand that you especially enjoy pursuing trout with a vertical presentation, from a position directly above them. Since I am unable to achieve this advantage on open water, it may be necessary to await the hardening thereof in colder weather. **
Thank you again, oh great commander, for showing all of us the true light.
CP reported on the walkie talkie that there were lots of minnows in there. That’s where they have been congregating the past few weeks and that is why the predators stay in that area.