Going Shocking Today

[Nortrad]

I'll chime in, and this may have been answered sometime on a post somewhere. What's the reasoning behind not stocking cutthroats in more streams? Are MO streams not suited? Will the cutties clean up on juvenile rainbows? Not familiar enough with this, any input?

[ozark trout fisher]

I'll chime in, and this may have been answered sometime on a post somewhere. What's the reasoning behind not stocking cutthroats in more streams? Are MO streams not suited? Will the cutties clean up on juvenile rainbows? Not familiar enough with this, any input?

Cutthroat are not very piscivorous, so I don't think they would have much effect on juvenile rainbows. I suspect the reason we don't have cutthroat in Missouri is all about the money that would be involved in raising another species of fish, and the possibility that it would be difficult to raise them in our hatcheries. I don't think there is much doubt that the habitat is there on some stretches of stream, the Spring River in Arkansas is very much like our spring-fed rivers and cutthroat do fine there.

I'd love to have the chance to catch cutts here in MO, but I'm not sure we need yet another non-native species. I love cutthroat trout, but I'm okay with having to go find them in their native territory, beautiful high elevation streams throughout the Rocky Mountain west. There they are a symbol of the west, of the wildness that was, and still is in a few areas. Out here they'd be a fun novelty, a chance for a "grand slam" and not much more. Not really worth it in my opinion.

And that's a beautiful picture by the way.

[Al Agnew]

Cutthroat are pretty much like rainbows...as they get bigger they start eating some fish, not as many as big browns, but enough that cuts are very susceptible to streamers--at least the Yellowstone cuts are. I see no reason to stock them in MO waters. They aren't quite as good fighters as either rainbows or browns, and to me their main attraction is as a native fish that evolved in the streams where you fish for them. I think it's a gimmick to stock them outside their native range when you already have rainbows and browns.

[Nortrad]

Thanks for the info guys. I caught a couple small ones out west last year, and, I have heard they don't fight as well. Can't take credit for the pic, that's from Mike Doughty, the blogger who runs 'Dances With Trout' blog, trout tripper. He's formerly of WA like me and has an excellent eye with his camera. Great blog.

http://trouttripper.blogspot.com/

[ozark trout fisher]

Nortrad, I understand why you would want them here in MO after catching your first few. They are wonderful fish, are they not?

I know they have a reputation for being lackluster fighters, but I have always found them to be pretty scrappy, I can't tell any difference between them and a brown or rainbow of the same size. They do tend to be smaller, but if you hook into a 17 or 18 inch Trappers Lake cuttie, you'll see that they have not earned that reputation.

[Nortrad]

Nortrad, I understand why you would want them here in MO after catching your first few. They are wonderful fish, are they not?

I know they have a reputation for being lackluster fighters, but I have always found them to be pretty scrappy, I can't tell any difference between them and a brown or rainbow of the same size. They do tend to be smaller, but if you hook into a 17 or 18 inch Trappers Lake cuttie, you'll see that they have not earned that reputation.

That's true too. I've read both sides about their spirit when you hook them. They are beautiful to behold. I miss the days back on the rez when I landed big mountain brookies. They are fun to hook and fight. They slam the fly in my experience.

IMO, browns and rainbows fight differently. I've had my butt handed to me by consecutive big rainbows in upper Tan Vat on one day where I learned that my fish fighting skills had to improve. And I have also landed much bigger browns that kind of 'gave up' after a short fight. Every fish is different I guess.

[Justin Spencer]

IMO, browns and rainbows fight differently

I agree for sure, seems to me rainbows make long fast runs and browns just bulldog around and are happy to try to sit on the bottom forcing you to put more pressure on them than you think you should. I've caught 13" rainbows in fast water that take as much line as a 20" brown, they ultimately come in easier but initially you think you have a much larger fish. Granted I've never caught a 24" rainbow so maybe they would fight like a big brown, but I hope they make those fast long runs like the smaller ones.

I would just as soon catch lots of decent size bows as bigger browns, it's fun to see those big browns on your line, but pound for pound I'll take a rainbow any day of the week.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I assumed that the triploid stocking was to augment the population without endangering the reproducing population. With that in mind I wondered if the population in the NFOW was considered low?

As for cutts I don't see any reason for them here. Yes they have a slightly different appearance, but they are still trout and in my experience seem to be small in streams, but they do have fast growing stillwater strains.

Trout are not native to Missouri, and as long as there is heavy river traffic, gigging, and warm water floods big trout just aren't going to happen in any numbers. There isn't an abnormal supply of 20" fish on the Deschutes in Oregon and you can't keep them or fish from a boat on that water. I realize they are a strain that evolved in warmer alkaline waters which doesn't describe the rivers flowing east from the Cascades, but big fish occur and they re therefore capable.

[Justin Spencer]

I assumed that the triploid stocking was to augment the population without endangering the reproducing population. With that in mind I wondered if the population in the NFOW was considered low?

They are just doing browns which they stock anyway, not working with triploid rainbows. On a side note, triploid grass carp have had an odd way of reverting back to diploids and successfully reproducing, so even with triploids it can be dangerous stocking them in a place you don't want them to reproduce.

[Al Agnew]

The average rainbow is a lot faster and jumps more and higher than either the average brown or cutthroat. Cutthroats on average jump the least and do the most rolling and bulldogging, seldom making any kind of real run. But that's "average". Depending upon water temps, how long the fish has been in the river in the case of stocked fish, or just individual fish, you run into rainbows that just splash around and roll on the surface, and browns that leap all over the river. Having caught native cuts in several different streams, I will say that I've never had one leap much, certainly not those wild, 3-4 ft. high leaps of hot rainbows, nor have I ever had one make a long run, and I've caught them up to 21 inches. Nor have I ever caught a big brown that made the kind of screaming runs that a big rainbow can make. The few really big ones I've hooked pretty much used their strength, not their speed, and as Justin said, they like to go hunker down and dare you to try to move them.

And Justin, the crazy big 28-32 inch rainbows of the good Alaska streams do indeed make screaming runs and jump like crazy.