No black? Put it back! You can help the bull trout recover in Alberta

[Crackmacs]

http://aesrd.wordpress.com/2014/08/07/no-black-put-it-back-you-can-help-the-bull-trout-recover-in-alberta/

http://aesrd.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/bull-trout-2.jpg?w=584&h=404

Pass it on! :)

[CanadianBadass]

Honestly..... This is probably one of the very first thing I learned about fishing over 20 years ago when I was a young kid, I remember me catching my first Bully and screaming to my dad " Theres no black " and him yelling back " Put it back" lol lol

Great message to passs on to our young ones ! :sHa_shakeshout:

[Saltmania]

Honestly..... This is probably one of the very first thing I learned about fishing over 20 years ago when I was a young kid, I remember me catching my first Bully and screaming to my dad " Theres no black " and him yelling back " Put it back" lol lol

Great message to passs on to our young ones ! :sHa_shakeshout:

Yes this is a great reminder. Especially for the folks from BC who may be used to the very similar Dolly Varden being legally harvestable.

[jacenbeers]

Dang. I have been keeping these all along and releasing brookies. :)

[pickrel pat]

Has been the motto since the 80's I beleive....as far back as I can remember..... Good reminder.

[EZM]

Yes this is a great reminder. Especially for the folks from BC who may be used to the very similar Dolly Varden being legally harvestable.

All but one watershed of land locked "Dolly Varden" in BC are the same species, genetically, as the Bull trout here in Alberta.

The sea run Dollies, in BC, carry some genetic distinction.

I have caught Bulls in BC and harvested one to see how they taste ........ I am unlikely to do that again ..... they are certainly not as good as a rainbow or brookie in my opinion.

[pdfish]

But Alberta bull trout taste so good.....

[buckman]

But Alberta bull trout taste so good.....

Its because of all the other trout they feed on!!!

[tight line]

Its because of all the other trout they feed on!!!

Singling out Bull Trout as feeding on other Trout is what helped get them on this list... When in Fact most Trout Species will eat other Trout.

[whitetail Junkie]

Singling out Bull Trout as feeding on other Trout is what helped get them on this list... When in Fact most Trout Species will eat other Trout.

I Caught this guy in July,he was like a little shark....even tried to bite me as I initially grabbed him....caught him on a Rapala minnow lure.http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab316/whitetail_junkie/IMG_5337_zpsf66a7c17.jpg (http://s875.photobucket.com/user/whitetail_junkie/media/IMG_5337_zpsf66a7c17.jpg.html)http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab316/whitetail_junkie/IMG_5335_zpsbae0274f.jpg (http://s875.photobucket.com/user/whitetail_junkie/media/IMG_5335_zpsbae0274f.jpg.html)

[tight line]

I Caught this guy in July,he was like a little shark....even tried to bite me as I initially grabbed him....caught him on a Rapala minnow lure.http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab316/whitetail_junkie/IMG_5337_zpsf66a7c17.jpg (http://s875.photobucket.com/user/whitetail_junkie/media/IMG_5337_zpsf66a7c17.jpg.html)http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab316/whitetail_junkie/IMG_5335_zpsbae0274f.jpg (http://s875.photobucket.com/user/whitetail_junkie/media/IMG_5335_zpsbae0274f.jpg.html)

Looks more like a land shark!lol. Nice Bully! Yes bulls are aggressive and eat a lot of fish, but i have also caught browns, bows, brookies, and even Cutts on swim baits. Its a shame that Bulls get such a bad name, when in fact, large Bulls present in a waterbody is a sign of a healthy food chain.

[ESOXangler]

It's their river, let em eat what we've introduced!

[bobly]

I've watched these placid (!!) creatures in the logs jam holes of the West and South Castle. They lay on the bottom with the white tips of their fins revealing their size, like they are harmless and docile. However when the feeding frenzy begins, the whitefish and cutties better hide in the logs because these cannibals will grab and swallow them whole. Fast like darts! It is not pleasant to watch good size cutties being devoured.

I believe these bulltrout are a detriment to a healthy cutty population. They are too big, too aggressive and getting to be too populous. They inhabit Beaver Mines Lake in big numbers after entering from the creek outlets. Last winter I caught several 15-20 inch dollies in there. Been ice fishing there many years and did not ever see the likes of this. Lucky for those fish it was I who hooked them because I observed a lot of guys keeping them. Not me, but I have very mixed feelings about this ban now. Perhaps the ban should be lifted in that area for the sake of the other game fish!

[whitetail Junkie]

I've watched these placid (!!) creatures in the logs jam holes of the West and South Castle. They lay on the bottom with the white tips of their fins revealing their size, like they are harmless and docile. However when the feeding frenzy begins, the whitefish and cutties better hide in the logs because these cannibals will grab and swallow them whole. Fast like darts! It is not pleasant to watch good size cutties being devoured.

I believe these bulltrout are a detriment to a healthy cutty population. They are too big, too aggressive and getting to be too populous. They inhabit Beaver Mines Lake in big numbers after entering from the creek outlets. Last winter I caught several 15-20 inch dollies in there. Been ice fishing there many years and did not ever see the likes of this. Lucky for those fish it was I who hooked them because I observed a lot of guys keeping them. Not me, but I have very mixed feelings about this ban now. Perhaps the ban should be lifted in that area for the sake of the other game fish!

I hav'nt heard of bulls in there since I caught them as a teen.....im for sure going ice fishing there this winter! Aswesome scrappers!

The bull pictured above was caught in the castle...but I can't criticize him,because I eat the cutthroats in the river Aswell :)

[AlbertaCutthroat]

I've watched these placid (!!) creatures in the logs jam holes of the West and South Castle. They lay on the bottom with the white tips of their fins revealing their size, like they are harmless and docile. However when the feeding frenzy begins, the whitefish and cutties better hide in the logs because these cannibals will grab and swallow them whole. Fast like darts! It is not pleasant to watch good size cutties being devoured.

I believe these bulltrout are a detriment to a healthy cutty population. They are too big, too aggressive and getting to be too populous. They inhabit Beaver Mines Lake in big numbers after entering from the creek outlets. Last winter I caught several 15-20 inch dollies in there. Been ice fishing there many years and did not ever see the likes of this. Lucky for those fish it was I who hooked them because I observed a lot of guys keeping them. Not me, but I have very mixed feelings about this ban now. Perhaps the ban should be lifted in that area for the sake of the other game fish!

Cutties evolved around far more bull trout that we have now. The main threat to Cutties is introduced rainbows and brookies, not bull trout predation.

[lannie]

I think the main threat to Cutties are humans.

[RisingRainbows]

It's their river, let em eat what we've introduced!

Agreed, I'd rather see the native fish do well and the introduced species decline.

[Steven Noel]

A decent sized specimen (about 18") that took a dry last weekend. The Bull Trout seem to be doing quite well in the Blackstone drainage.

http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab70/Steven_Noel/IMG_8588_zpsfb11aeb0.jpg

[rccam1]

Took this guy a couple years back. Heading out again this morning to see how big he may be now.

[H380]

I've watched these placid (!!) creatures in the logs jam holes of the West and South Castle. They lay on the bottom with the white tips of their fins revealing their size, like they are harmless and docile. However when the feeding frenzy begins, the whitefish and cutties better hide in the logs because these cannibals will grab and swallow them whole. Fast like darts! It is not pleasant to watch good size cutties being devoured.

I believe these bulltrout are a detriment to a healthy cutty population. They are too big, too aggressive and getting to be too populous. They inhabit Beaver Mines Lake in big numbers after entering from the creek outlets. Last winter I caught several 15-20 inch dollies in there. Been ice fishing there many years and did not ever see the likes of this. Lucky for those fish it was I who hooked them because I observed a lot of guys keeping them. Not me, but I have very mixed feelings about this ban now. Perhaps the ban should be lifted in that area for the sake of the other game fish!

I'll be the first to agree with you ,and further add that we open a season on bulls as well as grizz . Not likely to happen on either front , but we can hope .

[smitty9]

I've watched these placid (!!) creatures in the logs jam holes of the West and South Castle. They lay on the bottom with the white tips of their fins revealing their size, like they are harmless and docile. However when the feeding frenzy begins, the whitefish and cutties better hide in the logs because these cannibals will grab and swallow them whole. Fast like darts! It is not pleasant to watch good size cutties being devoured.

I believe these bulltrout are a detriment to a healthy cutty population. They are too big, too aggressive and getting to be too populous. They inhabit Beaver Mines Lake in big numbers after entering from the creek outlets. Last winter I caught several 15-20 inch dollies in there. Been ice fishing there many years and did not ever see the likes of this. Lucky for those fish it was I who hooked them because I observed a lot of guys keeping them. Not me, but I have very mixed feelings about this ban now. Perhaps the ban should be lifted in that area for the sake of the other game fish!


Strongly disagree.

Cutt-Bull-Whitefish ecology and streams did fine for 1000's of years without man screwing it up. Saying bull trout are a detriment to a healthy cutt population is akin to saying the same thing about lions and zebras and hundreds of other predator-prey dynamics. Each of those relationships have their cycles, but essentially, without interference, the do establish a natural balance that tends to wax and wane. Think there's too many bulls and too few cutts? Well Mother Nature has a way of taking care of that, and has done so for millions of years...

Ever see the old museum archive b&w photos from back in the day? There used to be monster cutts and monster bulls in the Bow and Oldman drainages. Streams did fine growing plentiful, beautiful, big cutthroats even with "all" that bull trout predation.

Each fish occupies and ecological niche and has done fine for millennia. The more relevant questions are, what are the best management practices for fish given that (1) man wants to fish for them and immensely enjoys that activity and (2) man wants to screw with the habitat by resource extraction thus limiting the potential biomass.

In other words, has the "comeback" in numbers from bull trout - is that the most serious, the most pressing issue here? I'd say not. Do bull trout need to be culled and their numbers thinned? I'm pretty skeptical exploring that question, when our bios are more concerned with cutthroat stocks and the purity of the genetics (to pick a single issue; hybridization with rainbows).

Have a look at the South Saskatchewan regional management plan, or the Castle. Lots of interests at play here in terms of "what's best for the fish". I'm speaking in broad terms of course.

I've fished the Castle drainage and have been pretty happy with size and numbers of cutts. Other, more experienced or knowledgeable anglers (cause I don't fish the Castle region much being from Edmonton) may have a different take. Fair enough; but aren't we being a little knee jerk and quick off the hop here just to simply blame the bull trout?

Cheers,
Smitty
P.S. I am more sympathetic to the argument when discussing an artificial put and take lake like Beaver Mines.

[lannie]

Strongly disagree.

Cutt-Bull-Whitefish ecology and streams did fine for 1000's of years without man screwing it up. Saying bull trout are a detriment to a healthy cutt population is akin to saying the same thing about lions and zebras and hundreds of other predator-prey dynamics. Each of those relationships have their cycles, but essentially, without interference, the do establish a natural balance that tends to wax and wane. Think there's too many bulls and too few cutts? Well Mother Nature has a way of taking care of that, and has done so for millions of years...

Ever see the old museum archive b&w photos from back in the day? There used to be monster cutts and monster bulls in the Bow and Oldman drainages. Streams did fine growing plentiful, beautiful, big cutthroats even with "all" that bull trout predation.

Each fish occupies and ecological niche and has done fine for millennia. The more relevant questions are, what are the best management practices for fish given that (1) man wants to fish for them and immensely enjoys that activity and (2) man wants to screw with the habitat by resource extraction thus limiting the potential biomass.

In other words, has the "comeback" in numbers from bull trout - is that the most serious, the most pressing issue here? I'd say not. Do bull trout need to be culled and their numbers thinned? I'm pretty skeptical exploring that question, when our bios are more concerned with cutthroat stocks and the purity of the genetics (to pick a single issue; hybridization with rainbows).

Have a look at the South Saskatchewan regional management plan, or the Castle. Lots of interests at play here in terms of "what's best for the fish". I'm speaking in broad terms of course.

I've fished the Castle drainage and have been pretty happy with size and numbers of cutts. Other, more experienced or knowledgeable anglers (cause I don't fish the Castle region much being from Edmonton) may have a different take. Fair enough; but aren't we being a little knee jerk and quick off the hop here just to simply blame the bull trout?

Cheers,
Smitty
P.S. I am more sympathetic to the argument when discussing an artificial put and take lake like Beaver Mines.

I think Bobly has at least 60 years of fishing that water in his back yard and has watched it go though a few different stages and is very much in tune with the trout holding water in the SW. The fish might have gone through thousands of years of predator prey dynamics without thousands of fisherman tromping through the water and stayed balanced. Today's reality is not close to that and sooner than later one of the answers to fish management will be limiting the numbers of fisherman on the water in the catch and release zones to get closer to the ideal situations of yesteryear where the fish had balance. For today...I think the the watersheds of the SW are a bit to heavily populated with Bulls. I would like to know what the target populations or mass are that our bios are looking for or have they already been achieved. Who has stats for that?

[whitetail Junkie]

I personally love eating\keeping legal fish I catch,however I don't like the concept of it regarding bull trout.....at the very MOST I can see\support a bull trout special draw for only 1 fish a year....simular to the walleye draws.anything greater than that I would be against.

[rycoma]

Not to be a troll but have you ever eaten a bull trout. They are horrible no flavor what so ever. As for the Eco system it will reach a balance or it will swing like rabitt population do every four years. Big fish cannot survive with out the little fish and the little fish can't survive if there are too many big fish. It really is quite simple. Also most streams have a dominant trout in them. The dogpound creek has browns with brookies as the sub..Waiprous has cutts with brookies sub. The list goes on and on. My self I catch way more "desirable" spieces of trout year in and year out.

[tight line]

I personally love eating\keeping legal fish I catch,however I don't like the concept of it regarding bull trout.....at the very MOST I can see\support a bull trout special draw for only 1 fish a year....simular to the walleye draws.anything greater than that I would be against.

Thats a good idea!

[LCCFisherman]

Agreed boys!! The castle drainage is becoming more and more populated with Bulls, every year I fish the same holes, walk the same stretches and have continued to catch more bull trout annually! I love catching this species, but I agree with whats being said, cutts are few and far between and this could be turning into a situation like our walleye lakes with no harvest.

On the flip side? Be happy the castle population is increasing, because I think the oldman population is decreasing. :thinking-006: