Northwest Fishing Reports

We had a discussion about these critters last year...but we managed to drag one in just yesterday so I figured I would post a picture to show there are still more of them in here!

The "football" shaped trout, Heart Lake, Anacortes WA, May 10, 2009.



Barbecued it up and it tasted great. Weighed in at 1.35lbs, just under 13"...sorry no girth.

Good lord thats just wrong :cyclopsan used to fish ERIE AND HEART YEARS AGO NEVER SAW A TARD LIKE THAT,:colors:
It would have been released it might be a tad high in fertilizer or just poor stocking programs and conditions at the hatchery?

MAYBE STAMPIE SAT ON IT!? :viking: =d> LOL

Im not sure, but it may have been injured during its early development. When you filleted it did you find any abnormalities in the spine? Young trout can be very resilient and often recover from injury without any immidiate visible injury. I have found trout that heve been injured in the wild that have had their spines injured and the bone rehealed, resulting in a nodule or knob where the injury was. The trout seem to eat fine, spawn and grow. However, when you catch one it makes you go "WTF"? Hatcheries release thousands of trout and there is always mortalities and injuries. Its a good thing they keep stocking them so we can fish for them!

I didn't find anything obvious in regards to damage to the spine or meat.

FWIW, this is the 3rd fish like this I have seen evidence of coming from Heart Lake in the last two years. We had quite the discussion this time last year after a member posted pictures of one, as well as his hesitations to eat it.

Not sure just what to think...

that's a secret WDFW crossbreed - "PiranaTrout".

Having gutted literally millions of fish, I can say with out a doubt, that is an early age spinal injury or congenital defect. I've seen it in hundreds of fish. There is normally considerable scar tissue around the site. If you look carefully the injury site can be pin pointed.

we should put a prize up for people who catch mutated fish:-k

It almost looks like thats a holdover "football trout" haha

heres the one I caught last year at heart lake.

nevermind, for some reason I cannot find the pic on my computer...