Missing fins

[Greg]

My last few times out at Taneycomo I have caught quite a few rainbows that have missing or deformed pectoral fins. Does anyone know the reason for this? Some of these fish have been bigger 15/16" fish that are obviously not straight from the hatchery. Just wondering if it is a genetic thing or maybe it happens from the hatchery before stocking. It doesn't seem to bother them (the fish). They were all fat and healthy.

And I've never seen a brown with this phenomenon.

Greg

[Simsmarine]

Sometimes they do that when shocking a section, so that they don't count the same fish twice I guess. I think a section from the anal fin would be better for the fish.

[Phil Lilley]

I've always blamed missing or nubbed fins on being raised in the concrete raceways at the hatchery. Some grow them back and some it takes longer to???

They clip brown fins before releasing some browns each year to identify a year class, alternating between the anal fins and the post fin... the little fin the comes out of the lower back.