MA 9 Steelhead?

Jacob Watrous

Jacob Watrous

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This morning just before 4 am I lucked into a slightly-colored-up hatchery steelhead buck at an East-side MA 9 beach. 5.5 lbs of meat off of it, and not snakey so my thought is not a kelt, so maybe a ludicrously early summer run?

Would love to hear theories about what the heck it was doing there at this time of year, because I got nothing.

Farm pens are gone, right?


Edit: I can’t spell

Edit #2: Nor grammar goodly.
 
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Colored up and size sounds like a Chambers fish that has been recovering since their early winter spawn time, and recently hit the Salt with the rest of the outmigrants.
 
Mossback said:
Colored up and size sounds like a Chambers fish that has been recovering since their early winter spawn time, and recently hit the Salt with the rest of the outmigrants.
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That makes more sense than the silly-early summer run theory. I know folks were into summer runs up here in early June last year, but early May is a bit of a stretch.

Thanks!
 
Oh I think there would be a few over achievers or strays from different systems out there, but they'd be bright as hell with see through tail fins.
 
BTW

Just my guess
Salmo_g would know
 
J Watrous said:
This morning just before 4 am I lucked into a slightly-colored-up hatchery steelhead buck at an East-side MA 9 beach. 5.5 lbs of meat off of it, and not snakey so my thought is not a kelt, so maybe a ludicrously early summer run?

Would love to hear theories about what the heck it was doing there at this time of year, because I got nothing.

Farm pens are gone, right?


Edit: I can’t spell

Edit #2: Nor grammar goodly.
Click to expand...
Please tell me you got a picture before the fillet! Would love to know that at least someone caught Salty Steel within my adult lifetime
 
speedbird said:
Please tell me you got a picture before the fillet! Would love to know that at least someone caught Salty Steel within my adult lifetime
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I wish I had one, and I’m kicking myself. Was a typical pre-dawn weekday fishing session, so I didn’t bring my phone.

When I was filleting it at work (wouldn’t fit in my classroom fridge otherwise) I realized I should’ve taken a picture in the classroom pre-cut at least.

Last June folks were getting some at Carkeek. Who knows, maybe this is a new thing?
 
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Definitely a summer run in my opinion. May isn’t too early, especially for it to be hanging out in the salt. A few used to get caught from March to early July off the same beaches that were known to produce winter run fish.
 
The more likely than not explanation of a 5.5 pound adipose clipped slightly colored up steelhead off a MA 9 beach is a winter run hatchery kelt that returned to the salt from a Puget Sound river. Hatchery summer steelhead would now be passing through those same waters (in far fewer numbers these days due to decreased stocking and poor marine survival rates), but they would be bright as a dime chrome with iridescent blue-green backs and clear or white fins. The reason the meat on the fish you caught isn't more pale is because post spawn kelts recover quickly as soon as they resume active feeding.
 
Salmo_g said:
The more likely than not explanation of a 5.5 pound adipose clipped slightly colored up steelhead off a MA 9 beach is a winter run hatchery kelt that returned to the salt from a Puget Sound river. Hatchery summer steelhead would now be passing through those same waters (in far fewer numbers these days due to decreased stocking and poor marine survival rates), but they would be bright as a dime chrome with iridescent blue-green backs and clear or white fins. The reason the meat on the fish you caught isn't more pale is because post spawn kelts recover quickly as soon as they resume active feeding.
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I bow to your wisdom and experience. I figured a kelt wouldn’t be as fleshed out as this one was (yield was 5.5lbs).
 
If you have a closish beach it’s 100% worth it IMO. Especially for popular fisheries like salmon. Gives us working stiffs a shot at good mid week tides and less crowded conditions. Half my colleagues are east coast based so I generally start my day early for more overlap (6 or 6:30 am) but switch my schedule up come salmon time 2-3 days a week and start closer to 8:30-9. Having a company that embraces flex schedules and an understanding boss helps ;)
 
To me its the last frontier of Steelhead. White Hot, Crystal clear, Sea Liced Chrome and I dont need to bring my own rock and fight 100 guides to get one. HARD as hell to catch, could be the fish of 2000 casts but its high on my bucket list this winter. The Points of Whidbey beware, Ill be out there soon. Cheers
 
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