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3. New World Record Brook Trout Caught In Manitoba!!!!, Page 2

Always good idea to take lots of photos. Closer photo shows the coloration better and the tail. I would have kept it myself after keeping out of the water so long. It looks like it in the new photo also. Who knows what happened after it was released. Might have swam away, died and sank. Fish like this is at the end of its life.

I'm sure they are going to look at photos and talk to people. If it was kept the records organizations normally will not accpet any doubt whatsoever on a fish. Not sure how they work there local records up there either.

Anyway one heck of a nice brook trout.

As a catch & release fisherman, correct me if Im wrong, but isnt holding a fish by the gills for a photo or as a means of landing it detrimental to the fishes survival?

It's not a good practice--any handling should be kept to a reasonable minimum on fish to be released. If the fingers are just inside the gill cover and not actually in the gills, it probably doesn't do too much harm. (Though it's not a good idea to support the fish vertically from this grasp, or any other.)

Seems to be some comments now that this fish was the product of some stocking effort with a particular strain of brook trout. I guess we will read all sorts of stories on forums now.

It's not just the holding that's the problem. First of all it's a big fish that probabley put up a good fight. Meaning it was fairley stressed to begin with. Every second a fish is out of water it's chances of death begin to multiply. By the time 20-30 seconds goes by it's risk of death can be easily 75%. I don't know how long this fish was out of the water, but chances are this fish had little if any chance living after being released.

As for the strain of fish, I'm sure we'll start hear talk of that soon. Although I'd be more interested to know what kind forage base this lake has. I'm willing to bet it's packed with food.

I would have kept it. I boated a 49 1/2 inch musky (fly rod) out of an area lake here this fall and it was one quick event from the boat to the scale, a few photos and back in the water. It still took some time to get the fish going.

I am sure but I need someplace that these were "sterile" fish, not producing in the lake.

Yeah, trout are a lot more delicate than a northern or muskie. I've always been amazed by a pikes ability to survive. Getting a hook out can be enough trouble with them, but you can toss em back and catch them a minute later. A couple of the tougher fish out there in my opinion.

Bottom line on Coasters now seems to be the stocking of splake into Lake Superior. That should make lots of people happy when they cut them back. Seems the DNR here in Wisconsin is ready to do it and have by Ashland only stocking 60,000. Michigan, I guess the guys want the splake over the coasters.

I did some rading lately and they now feel that splake are reproducing to some degree in the Lake which affects Lake Trout and any brook trout, coaster, stocking. All we need is another hybrid of something or something else.

Should be an interesting debate. I have to agree with the splake. When they stock the Lake with brook trout they used mostly fry, great foor for splake.

Well with VHS taking its toll we'll see.

Let me know on ice up at the Bay.

Yeah I agree, I think splake reproduce to some degree. I think the dnr should do a little more research into it. Such as tagging or clipping the fish they stock to see what extent they're reproducing. Michigan people like their splake. Tough to blame em when you can catch 10-15lb. fish that look just like brook trout. Fortunetly most of the brook trout stocking isn't near any splake populations as I know of. Wisconsin is different, I think they could eventually fase out splake, enough other fish to keep people happy. VHS might fase them all out anyways.

Seems to be that the Michigan folks jumped on the idea of ending splake stocking. Wisconsin has cut back some but not entirely. That might be the final point of friction. Since the splake are easy to stock, look like brook trout and can grow without all the habitat work that needs to be done, they might be the final solution. The Wisconsin tribs need lots of work. The Sand is all but shot and was one of the best, if not the best, coaster stream. It's hard to tamper with something up on the Lake since it's easy to crash fish populations. They seem to have the Lake Trout going good again but need to learn more about them as well.

I'd not expect opulent people checking into a hotel in Ashland to catch 50 10-pound coasters but with patience we will get to some coaster fishery. I believe Wisconsin is ready to dump splake stocking according to one source up in Bayfield. We need to change some regs also if you want more brook trout. Question is will the public go for it?

Been reading on VHS....not good. Another big cleanup bill.

Yeah another big cleanup bill that might not clean up anything this time. I'm not sure they know what they're going to do this time around. They're sure worried about it though. Sand and other small streams are taking some hard blows with the drought and no snow for spring melt.

Sand did not look good last time I was up, nothing did really. The Saxine was just a trickle at the mouth. Cranberry was all but clear and that is strange. That's my take on VHS also. They sure are worried about it getting over to Superior, that happens we got problems, like we do not already. Supposed to affect perch a lot.

Some slight increase I was told is a few streams, but the slighest of the slighest. Lake has got to be 4-feet down now and no moisture in sight.


Thanks for the ice report......we need some cold weather.

Lake levels are down 18inches in Washburn and 12 in the UP from a year ago. And that's only from last year in which levels have already been down for a while now. Souix is very clear, usually the big holes are brown but not this year, you can see right into them. It's a warm one again today and it doesn't look to be cold anytime soon. My guess is late december early January will be the next big cold snap. Maybe even middle to late January.

Highs above freezing for next eight days. Plus some possible rain.

Our clay water is ginger-clear water. Interesting to see the holding holes. I snapped a lot of photos.

Someone said about 7-years of above normal moisture to bring the Lake up. Headed over to see what I can do with brook trout in the Lake, maybe north. Got to be driving everyone crazy again like last year. Should be able to good if the mouths open up.

Contacted the Manitoba fishery people. Interesting email. The fish was a stocked fish but they did not mention any hybrid that is being posted around the Net. There are more photos that they have and it was concluded that the fish was a stocked brook trout. No splake in the lake.

Looks like it.