jonb
10/14/2015 6:36:00 PMAs a general rule Dolly Varden/Bull trout must be released unless specifically listed in the special regulations section as open.
I dont believe retention is allowed on the nooksack, although id need to check as I dont fish that river so havnt looked at its regs in a while.
Ill say this though, bull trout meat is VERY oily and doesnt have a particularly good taste to it.. id rather eat a pink or chum salmon than a bull trout.. releasing them is a better choice imo.
I dont believe retention is allowed on the nooksack, although id need to check as I dont fish that river so havnt looked at its regs in a while.
Ill say this though, bull trout meat is VERY oily and doesnt have a particularly good taste to it.. id rather eat a pink or chum salmon than a bull trout.. releasing them is a better choice imo.
jonb
10/14/2015 6:39:00 PM30" is monsterous for a dolly varden/bull trout. Its great you released it, those genes may end up going on to the next generation of hog dolly varden/bull trout. 30" should easily be over 10lbs really nice catch..
sunfighter
10/14/2015 6:57:00 PMIn my younger days we'd throw them in the bushes if we caught them.They are egg gobbling machines.
JoshH
10/14/2015 7:45:00 PMYea Dollys to me taste like oily mud. That is a huge dolly. Largest ive ever caught i think is 25 inches.
8ball
10/14/2015 8:24:00 PMThey have been netting 6 days a week. Not hard to guess where all the fish have gone. The south fork has been a big zero after the opening. Most fish were small and dark.
dj2loud
10/14/2015 9:09:00 PMThanks for the replies, as a rule IMO dolly / bull trout are indeed trout, however on other river's/tributaries they actually state the species as a separate season but includes them as part of trout limit ( see the link and look under old faithful Skagit river... ) http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01726/2015-16_puget_sound_and_strait_rivers.pdf
I was drift fishing a # 1 dick nite in 50/50 and thought I snagged, after I gave a pull it took off like a rocket... Spent about 15 minutes ( seemed like an hour) chasing it down the river hoping for a monster Coho..
Jonb - if I were to guess I'd have to say around 9 or 10 lbs and thick! .. I was shaking in my skivvies thinking I was going to loose the fish to a break as im using 15lb test with 12lb leader on such a small dick nite... I am sure glad I gave the spool of 8lb test to my wife to use at home.
8ball - I can't understand why the state allows them to net clean across the rivers' why don't they regulate them just like they do commercial fisheries and just go out in the bay and net for them. That's not fishing in my opinion... ( And no, I don't eat fish commercially harvested including tuna)
I was drift fishing a # 1 dick nite in 50/50 and thought I snagged, after I gave a pull it took off like a rocket... Spent about 15 minutes ( seemed like an hour) chasing it down the river hoping for a monster Coho..
Jonb - if I were to guess I'd have to say around 9 or 10 lbs and thick! .. I was shaking in my skivvies thinking I was going to loose the fish to a break as im using 15lb test with 12lb leader on such a small dick nite... I am sure glad I gave the spool of 8lb test to my wife to use at home.
8ball - I can't understand why the state allows them to net clean across the rivers' why don't they regulate them just like they do commercial fisheries and just go out in the bay and net for them. That's not fishing in my opinion... ( And no, I don't eat fish commercially harvested including tuna)
jonb
10/15/2015 12:42:00 PMIve caught 15lb fish on 8 lb maxima before. Heck ive mostly fished 8lb this year, caught 200+ salmon didnt get broke off once this year. Keep that drag set correctly and youll never get broke off fish.
Ian Horning
10/15/2015 1:31:00 PMThat's an awesome bulldog! The northern rivers have some Giants in them. As for line.... I caught a 9lb King and an 11lb steelie on 6lb test and five kings 35-42 inches long on 8lb test flouroclear. You just gotta play them out and of course revive them before the release. Good job releasing the bull... they should be illegal to keep everywhere.
Ian Horning
10/15/2015 1:34:00 PMThat bull trout could be 12 pounds or more depending on how thick it was too. The biggest I've caught was 26 inches and built like a football.
RiverChromeGS
10/15/2015 7:36:00 PMLol. Why such high regard for these dollies in these comments? They are pretty fun i guess to keep the rod bend on a slow day... And a 30 incher is a legit fish......But to the normal PNW salmon/steelhead angler......Bull Trout are Smolt demolishing, Salmon and steelhead egg gobbling, Terrible tasting, Weaking fighting, "oh i hooked a steelhead! Nope... Dolly dissapointment... Trash sucker fish of the river... Unless your like targeting them in Alaska or something...
Ian Horning
10/16/2015 11:06:00 AMTrash sucker fish? I think not. They are usually smaller than salmon obviously, and really not meant to be fought on steelhead or salmon gear. They are a strong fighter on properly matched tackle. Bull trout are spectacularly colored, with beautiful red spots. They are aggressive river predators and are indicators of a healthy ecosystem because they require cool, clean water to spawn. They're a native char which is threatened nationally due to low numbers..... For these reasons we have high regards for them. They were eating salmon smolt and eggs long before humans came and over-fished the populations of wild salmon and steelies.
jonb
10/16/2015 8:17:00 PMI like targetting them in bc. But im not a "salmon/steelhead guy" im just concerned with their imperilment, as they are a threatened species. Id rather not see such a beautiful uniquely northwest gamefish destroyed because of poor meat quality or because they eat steelhead smolts. Cutthroat eat steelhead smolts too, should we irradicate them aswell?
