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wildwoods
09-14-2015, 09:04 PM
We had a great trip to the Shu again this summer. Fished a bunch. Caught some Koks, bullies even a salmon (Unintentionally). Oddly enough no rainbow...
We did pull in this fish at 68'. My first inclination was a laker. The white leading edges spoke "bully". But the colouring is so messed up. I'm leaning laker although can be totally off. We released it quickly after the pic to baffle another fisherman another day. It was a blast as usual but still haven't been able to figure it out. It's not a squaw fish or a sucker. It looks trout to me.
As always,
Your thoughts?

Redfrog
09-14-2015, 09:20 PM
Dolly?

pipercub17
09-14-2015, 09:39 PM
That's a Shuswap bull for sure
They get really dark from spending so much time down deep in them lakes

Talking moose
09-14-2015, 10:02 PM
Bully.

Backyardhunter3006
09-14-2015, 10:04 PM
Bull trout for sure

Flight01
09-14-2015, 10:19 PM
I too believe it's a bull. Very very dark . Thanks for sharing the pic :shake2:

tight line
09-14-2015, 10:24 PM
Sweet

Fishslayer99
09-15-2015, 08:33 AM
Darkest bull trout I have ever seen... very unique to say the least, maybe the color or lack thereof is due to the depths and shortage of sunlight the fish was holding at?

wildwoods
09-15-2015, 08:59 AM
Darkest bull trout I have ever seen... very unique to say the least, maybe the color or lack thereof is due to the depths and shortage of sunlight the fish was holding at?

I'm guessing that's the case. It'd bizzare. I kept thinking the Alberta slogan "no black, put it back". This guy was all black.
Here's a pic of a young bully, same lake by the mouth of the eagle river :

Talking moose
09-15-2015, 09:17 AM
I'm guessing that's the case. It'd bizzare. I kept thinking the Alberta slogan "no black, put it back". This guy was all black.
Here's a pic of a young bully, same lake by the mouth of the eagle river :

Looks like a laker.

wildwoods
09-15-2015, 09:47 AM
Looks like a laker.
There's no dark worm like markings. Or deeply forked tail.
Although you get full black bullies anything is possible haha

Stally77
09-15-2015, 11:20 AM
Looks like a laker.

X 2 definatley Laker. They are very dark coloured in that lake.

How deep did you catch him? His eyes look like they are going to explode?

Talking moose
09-15-2015, 11:24 AM
X 2 definatley Laker. They are very dark coloured in that lake.

How deep did you catch him? His eyes look like they are going to explode?

I was talking about pic #2

Stally77
09-15-2015, 11:28 AM
I was talking about pic #2

first one is as well. didn't see second. Just saying
Cheers

wildwoods
09-15-2015, 11:35 AM
X 2 definatley Laker. They are very dark coloured in that lake.

How deep did you catch him? His eyes look like they are going to explode?

68' as mentioned. He didn't appear stressed when we caught him. Gave him a good release as well.

Stally77
09-15-2015, 11:51 AM
68' as mentioned. He didn't appear stressed when we caught him. Gave him a good release as well.

good to hear! Thanks for the pics.

I miss that Lake used to go every summer up till the grandparents sold their cabin.

Here is one my daughter caught a few years ago. just to compare to the first pic/112119 his eyes were a bit swollen as well. was also a successful release.
Cheers

wildwoods
09-15-2015, 12:00 PM
good to hear! Thanks for the pics.

I miss that Lake used to go every summer up till the grandparents sold their cabin.

Here is one my daughter caught a few years ago. just to compare to the first pic/112119 his eyes were a bit swollen as well. was also a successful release.
Cheers

What a lunker!
Yeah it's definitely my favourite place on the Planet. We go every summer

mikebossy
09-16-2015, 12:21 PM
sure, its a char, but the darkness of the photo doesn't help in distinguishing between bull or laker, as for not being able to see vermiculations(quote-'wormlike markings') on the back, how on earth can you tell there not there?, way too dark to see if they were there

wildwoods
09-16-2015, 12:32 PM
sure, its a char, but the darkness of the photo doesn't help in distinguishing between bull or laker, as for not being able to see vermiculations(quote-'wormlike markings') on the back, how on earth can you tell there not there?, way too dark to see if they were there

I'm talking about the second picture I posted in this thread of the younger fish.
See post #9
My original post w/ picture is definitely a head scratcher.

EZM
09-16-2015, 12:51 PM
In the first picture - it's very hard to tell - I can't make out the tail at all as the jacket is dark and so is the fish - nor can you see the top of the back. It's really quite difficult to tell from that picture. Both Lakers and Bulls can be almost black but you usually see the shadows of the spots on the bulls and the shadows of variegation on the back of a Laker and you simply can't see that detail here either.

Picture in post # 9 is Bull

Picture in post # 16 is a Laker

wildwoods
09-16-2015, 01:18 PM
EZ I agree- Not a great photo
Here's some more I cropped from our video

wildwoods
09-16-2015, 01:21 PM
Another
Hoping the color shows up better. Same pose of my buddy, I realize...

tight line
09-16-2015, 01:28 PM
To me they both look like lakers. Cant see the tail very good, but they both definately forked to me.

JimPS
09-16-2015, 03:55 PM
We used to just call them "grays" back in the day out there. I always thought they were just lakers.

CBintheNorth
09-16-2015, 10:01 PM
QUOTE=wildwoods;2967544]Another
Hoping the color shows up better. Same pose of my buddy, I realize...[/QUOTE]

Hmmmm. That mouth just doesn't look like Laker mouth to me.
I've only caught 1 bull in my life and seen a few others, but I've caught hundreds of Lakers.
Then again, I haven't caught either outside of Alberta.
Cool fish, whatever it is.

Bigdad013
09-16-2015, 11:25 PM
Caught lots of dark lakers their, but all the bulls we have caught were never dark (not saying there isn't any), we have never seen a dark bull is all.....

Sharpie
09-17-2015, 07:50 AM
I also think laker, caught a pile like that and even blacker in the Yukon.

deschambault
09-17-2015, 05:47 PM
I have never caught a bull in Shuswap, only lakers and to me that looked very much like a laker.

AlbertaClipper403
09-17-2015, 05:50 PM
It's a young Merman. I've seen a mature one at the Banff Springs Trading Post. No doubt about it.

CBintheNorth
09-17-2015, 10:14 PM
Caught lots of dark lakers their, but all the bulls we have caught were never dark (not saying there isn't any), we have never seen a dark bull is all.....

Well that's definitely a Laker. Wow.
If I caught a good one that color I think I'd have to get it mounted. Very unique.

Hey OP, it's a Laker!

wildwoods
09-18-2015, 08:14 AM
Well that's definitely a Laker. Wow.
If I caught a good one that color I think I'd have to get it mounted. Very unique.

Hey OP, it's a Laker!

So far we have guesses of:
5 Bully 7 Laker
I was stuck on laker, but those white leading edges....! In hindsight, It was big enough to keep regardless of species. We should have mounted her!

TUFFBUFF
09-19-2015, 11:02 AM
+1 lake trout!

Bhflyfisher
09-20-2015, 02:20 PM
Definitely Laker.

abhunter8
09-21-2015, 12:06 PM
If I had to bet money... Looks like a laker to me!