This is so rad!
94-Pound King Salmon from British Columbia
This massive 94-pound king salmon was only 3 pounds and change lighter than the IGFA All-Tackle World Record sport caught king, Les Anderson’s 97-pound, 4-ounce Kenai River monster. In fact, as a fresh fish out in the salt, he may have been a record breaker!
Speaking of giant salmon, check out my list of 10 of the biggest salmon ever
It wasn’t caught on rod and reel, however. It was captured as brood stock for a hatchery program in the famed River’s Inlet area of British Columbia.
You can read the whole story HERE
How to Properly Freeze Roe for Bait: The “Burrito Method”
So, you caught some hatchery hens this season and cured the eggs up for future salmon and steelhead fishing missions…But do you know how to make sure your bait is ready to go this winter or next fall?
It’s actually one of the questions I get asked most often — what’s the best way to freeze egg baits?
Well, there are a lot of ways you can go here and the short answer is: I vaccuum seal my wet cure eggs in Mason Jars. For dryer eggs I’m going to use for drifting, I’ll go with the burrito method.
Here’s how I do it:
First, you’ll need some paper towels, plastic wrap and vaccuum sealer bags…
Start by laying out some paper “tortillas” and then put the skein — or portion thereof — in the middle…
Next, wrap the eggs up just like you would a burrito…
Then, stretch out a length of plastic wrap and place the burrito on it…
Wrap the plastic around the burrito tightly, trying to squeeze as much of the air out as possible. Just be careful to not smash the eggs…
Next, get a vac bag ready. Be sure to label it with a Sharpie so you know what’s in there when you pull it out weeks or months down the road…
Now, fill the bag with as many burritos you think you’ll need in a session. I use the Oliso brand because they have a zipper end that allows you to take stuff out and then reseal the bag up to 10 times…
The next step is to place the bag in the freezer (unsealed). When the baits are frozen solid, put your vac packer on the “moist” setting if it has one and suck the air and then seal the bag shut. If you vacuum the eggs before they are frozen, they will turn to mush.
On a similar note, be sure to either open (or cut a hole) in the sealer bags when you take the burritos out to thaw. If left in the sealed bag, the eggs will expand upon thawing and you’ll end up with mushy goo (not good).
Follow these easy steps and you’ll have good eggs ready to fish when you need ‘em.
For more Steelhead fishing tips and techniques, check out my massive eBook: The Ultimate Guide to Steelhead Bank Fishing
Squawfish Derby coming June 17
Twenty-five hundred bucks in cash and cool prizes will be up for grabs June 17, 2017 when the first annual Squawfish Derby rolls in Gridley, CA
Hosted by the Nor-Cal Guides and Sportsmen’s Association, the derby promises to be a super fun event designed to help give baby Chinook salmon and steelhead a better chance at safely migrating to the ocean.
Squawfish (also known as “pike minnow”) are a native species but their numbers exploded during the low, warm waters of the great California drought. The derby aims to remove some of these predatory fish from the Sacramento and Feather rivers in an attempt to restore the natural predator-prey balance.
The event will be held June 17 at the Gridley Boat Ramp along the Feather River. There will be 5 categories, including a junior division. Don’t you want to be the one who wears the Squaw Champ Crown??
Entry fees are $40/person and that includes membership to NCGASA and catered lunch.
For more info and to signup online, head to www.ncgasa.org
Pilot Peak Lahontan Cutthroat Trout going into Truckee Basin Waters
Photo: CADFW
By now, most folks have heard of the Pilot Peak Strain of Lahontan cutthroat trout — yep, the ones that reach massive proportions in Nevada’s Pyramid Lake. Like sometimes 20 pounds or more!
Well, anglers are going to get an increased opportunity to chase Pilots as the California Department of Fish & Wildlife recently announced plants of the large strain cutts in several waters near Truckee.
Stocking of the sub-catchable size fish from last year’s eggs will begin as early as next week and will continue as the snow melts and planting trucks can gain access. Waters to be stocked include Echo, Fallen Leaf, Donner, Boca, Prosser, Stampede and Webber lakes.
“Anglers have been pulling some amazing, trophy-class Pilot Peak Lahontan cutthroat trout out of Pyramid Lake in Nevada for the last several years, and we really wanted to get this strain of fish for our anglers here in California,” said Jay Rowan, senior environmental scientist for CDFW’s North Central Region Hatchery Program. “Hopefully we will start seeing some really big ones showing up in a few years.”
The Pilot Peak Lahontan cutthroat trout is a lake form of cutthroat trout. This particular strain is native to the Truckee River Basin and is known for their aggressive feeding behavior and large size.
“They are an interesting fish to raise … being wild, they are a little wary, but they seem to take to feed fairly well,” said Steven Schnider, a CDFW fish and wildlife technician. “They are aggressive, so if you don’t separate them when they are young, you will see the bigger fish with tails sticking out of their mouths.”
This piscivorous (fish eating) behavior is what allows the Pilot Peak Lahontan cutthroat trout to grow quickly and to such large sizes. In choosing which waters to plant, CDFW fisheries biologists have targeted waters that have robust bait fish populations.
“We did a survey of anglers in some of the Truckee basin reservoirs back in 2010, and 85 percent of the anglers we interviewed were in favor of CDFW stocking Lahontan cutthroat trout in these waters,” said Rowan. “I think those results were largely driven by the success of Pilot Peak Lahontan cutthroat trout at Pyramid Lake.”
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