Bullshead

[monger]

Tako, I am talking about catching some SERIOUS fish (not tiddlers under 20"). The fish at BH tend to grow like this for the first few years: 10-13", 14-17", 18-21". I highly doubt there will be any difference in growth rates between diploids and triploids for the first couple of years. The difference should show up when the triploids keep growing in their first year of sexual maturation (age 3 to 4). Hopefully there is some fish that can get to age 4+ without getting bonked on the head. If the females are not cruising the shoreline looking for a place to spawn it will greatly decrease their likelyhood of getting caught by the spring troops of meat fishers. I expect the males will still be easy to target as they will most likely still cruise the shoreline. Hopefully the decreased stocking rates and addition of triploids will lead to a fishery where there is actually a good number of fish over 20" around. At present, angling pressure is very effective at removing anything over 20". There is tons of 16-18" fish that are in good shape, but certainly not footballs. I am very interested in seeing big, fat fish over 22". I wish the size restriction was bumped up to 56cm before you could bonk a fish. Perhaps we will eventually get to a point of stocking AF3N's like BC. That would be sweet!

[dryfly]

"I wish the size restriction was bumped up to 56cm before you could bonk a fish." Amen monger.

 

Maybe zero kill for the first month as well. Maybe one over 56 cm only between (what??) May 15 and Sept 15. The problem with the April 1 opening (with a kill limit) is that all (most) of the other lakes on Southern Alberta are closed because of the spring closure. However, if we bitch at the spring closure too much the simplest thing for senior management to do is ban ALL fishing in ALL waters from March 15 to May 8....that would not be swell. It is just too bad a scientific reason for the spring closure was never given. It was purely North-South bullshit politics. And the pike/walleye lake spirng closure affects lakes like Bullshead big time.

 

Side note: We have a spring closure apparently to protect pike and it is at a times when they don't even bite well. And the moment the lakes open is the same time the pike frenzy starts and THEN there is a three-per-day limit. (Spring closure followed by a 3-per-day limit. Huh?!) And to add insult to injury we have size limits on pike yet allow bait. It is bloody nuts.

 

Sorry for the rant, but IMHO the entire set of fishing regs in AB should be re-written. Not based on "what is now" and amended. Simply re-written based on what is needed to protect the fishery. And a new size for Bullshead would be one thing along with a change in kill season.

 

Most of this is out of the hands of the bios and field staff. We can talk with them, but often their hands are tied.

[EdB]

I'm kind of new to this and this might be a dumb question but i have no idea what diploids and triploids are. Whats the diff in these two. Are they different kinds or is it different years of groth maybe. I'm trying to learn

[Guest bigbadbrent]

diploids are normal rainbows that can spawn.

triploids have an extra chromosome that make them not want to spawn, so they don't spend energy making eggs, so they get big and fat.

[Tako]

Monger, I've seen triploids grow 3lbs in their first year. You're gonna love em, however it turns out My only problem with em is that they tend to bulldog more and jump less.

[Weedy1]

I'm kind of new to this and this might be a dumb question but i have no idea what diploids and triploids are. Whats the diff in these two. Are they different kinds or is it different years of groth maybe. I'm trying to learn

See Don's post from the other day. Some good info.

 

http://flyfishcalgary.com/board/index.php?...ic=3594&hl=

[beedhead]

Monger, I've seen triploids grow 3lbs in their first year. You're gonna love em, however it turns out My only problem with em is that they tend to bulldog more and jump less.

3lbs. in their 1st year?

[EdB]

hey thanks alot, that was a good read and now i know. One more question though. what is jacking?

[rusty]

I'd never complain about BH - it's just an unreal place.

 

It would sure be something if it could get back to way it was in Oct '05 though - we caught so many huge trout that 20" Bow River rockets looked like dinks the next time out.

[bloom]

diploids are normal rainbows that can spawn.

triploids have an extra chromosome that make them not want to spawn, so they don't spend energy making eggs, so they get big and fat.

 

This same 'triploid' effect actually happens in humans also. Instead of adding pressure to the eggs of female fish, a gold ring does it for humans!

[RandyS]

I'd never complain about BH - it's just an unreal place.

 

It would sure be something if it could get back to way it was in Oct '05 though - we caught so many huge trout that 20" Bow River rockets looked like dinks the next time out.

 

I agree. Fishing was great, wasn't it. Not that I'm complaining now. It's still is pretty good.

[beedhead]

I agree. Fishing was great, wasn't it. Not that I'm complaining now. It still is pretty good.

 

Agreed.

[walker1]

Amen to that Tim!

[monger]

Tako, that is amazing growth. I would suspect that was in a lake with relatively low numbers of fish, or one that was previously devoid of fish. It would take a fantastic scud population (or something as good) to grow fish that fast. Bullshead is a well established fishery with a history of excessive stocking numbers. I think there is too many fish for the kind of growth rates you are talking about. What was the history of the lake where you saw 3 pounds added in a year?

Bullshead is an amazing fishery, don't get me wrong. But wouldn't another couple of year classes be exciting!

[Tako]

Tako, that is amazing growth. I would suspect that was in a lake with relatively low numbers of fish, or one that was previously devoid of fish. It would take a fantastic scud population (or something as good) to grow fish that fast. Bullshead is a well established fishery with a history of excessive stocking numbers. I think there is too many fish for the kind of growth rates you are talking about. What was the history of the lake where you saw 3 pounds added in a year?

Bullshead is an amazing fishery, don't get me wrong. But wouldn't another couple of year classes be exciting!

 

Devoid of fish. It was an exceptional circumstance. However, 3N rainbows can put on ridiculous weight in one year. Here is a pic of a yearling Dragon AF3N Pennask. 13" chrome bullets. Tough to hold onto on a 5wt

 

[beedhead]

Tough to hold onto on a 5wt

I pull in 5-10lb. Bulls and bows on my 5wt.

[monger]

I suspected as much. Dragon fish look like they need to be exercised by my 6wt. I think BH could be as good if they didn't stock 75,000 fish a year. I believe they are decreasing numbers now. More scuds--->pig fish like Dragon, yahoo!

 

Beadhead, you M. Hat boys are way tougher than the folks from the other side of the mountains

[beedhead]

Beadhead, you M. Hat boys are way tougher than the folks from the other side of the mountains

 

Thats cuzz we have bigger fish...LOL.

 

Iam just givin Tako a hard time cuzz he gave me a hard time the other day...Its all in fun!

[Tako]

Thats cuzz we have bigger fish...LOL.

 

Iam just givin Tako a hard time cuzz he gave me a hard time the other day...Its all in fun!

 

I did!? I forget things fast You been warned. The first time a good solid triploid takes you for a ride you'll blink a couple times! I know I did. Then you'll crap your pants when you find out that fish that rallied 60 feet of line n backing out was only 16"

[Guest bigbadbrent]

Maybe you just need to turn your drag on...Or learn to stop a small fish

 

The biggest triploid i've caught so far wasn't a runner. Just kept on using the big body to turn agaisn't the way i was pulling..just took some time, no runs

 

 

either way, they get big, and they're rainbow trout, so either way you'll be having a hell of a time

[Tako]

Bite me, punk

[Guest Sundancefisher]

Well there ya go. Must be that the huge amount of bait fish (mullet, menhaden, shad, etc. etc.) makes it totally unnecessary for them to go after big stuff in saltwater. Either that or the gamefish do not school in shallow, clear water the same way as raised fish.

 

A pelican weighs what, 10-15lb? A 24" sucker would weigh 5? Hard to imagine how long before said Pelican could fly again.....

 

A 17-18 lb Pelican is a big bird up close. I am not sure what a 24 " sucker would weigh cause we were only weighing walleye on that trip but I suspect somewhere between 4-5 lbs. I looked up their feeding behavior and I doubt they could eat more than one at a time but they were so fat with eating they could not even lift off the water to fly away. I suspect they could be gluttons and eat an extra smaller one or have another one in its beak. A 6-10 lb rainbow would therefore be overkill and hard to catch unless dead maybe. Definitely they could eat rainbows to 5 lbs though.

 

I have watched them feed and they like to eat fish of any size but I am sure the would only target smaller fish like minnows and sport fish if they could concentrate them and eat more than one at a time. The literature says they eat 5 lbs of fish per day unless raising chicks. Then they eat a lot more.

 

Cheers.

 

Sun

[beedhead]

I've watched pelicans out at Bullshead eat from what I could see would be 5lb. fish... One day last summer there was this one Pelican that would come charging at my fish while I was playing it... About three times he did that...I had to throw rocks in the water, while playing my fish...just to keep him away! I am sure he would have got the fish if I hadn't thrown rocks in the water!!

[monger]

One of my friends has recently purchased a sling shot for these aggressive pelicans at one of the lakes we go to. They are almost as bad as the loons in BC that dive under your boat as you are releasing fish. I remember fishing by Merritt one summer and the loons would come to your boat if they heard your reel. It got so bad that you just had to stand up and shake your rod and they would come. These birds love catch and release fishing. I watched them eat some nice fat 18" fish.

[adc]

One of my friends has recently purchased a sling shot for these aggressive pelicans at one of the lakes we go to. They are almost as bad as the loons in BC that dive under your boat as you are releasing fish. I remember fishing by Merritt one summer and the loons would come to your boat if they heard your reel. It got so bad that you just had to stand up and shake your rod and they would come. These birds love catch and release fishing. I watched them eat some nice fat 18" fish.

 

I had EXACTLY the same experience at Douglas Lake Ranch with the loons..........But I like loons for some reason.......Same CANNOY be said for pelicans and cormorrants........Fish eatin' bastards!!..........