SRC We Know So Little

[RRSmith]

For those of us that fish Oregon estuaries for SRC, I found this feeding ecology study to be quite interesting:

https://odfw.forestry.oregonstate.edu/freshwater/inventory/pdffiles/Cutthroat%20diet%20Jones_et_al_2008.pdf

And here's a master's thesis that looks at spawning ecology of coastal cutthroat and steelhead in a California coastal lagoon. It specifically focuses on hybridization between the two species:

 

[Stonedfish]

Sorry to cross reference the old forum, but it was Preston Singletary that had mentioned the 10 year old searun cutt from Oregon.
SF

How old can Searun Cutts get to be?

In Jake's thread regarding searuns being taken in tribal nets, a few of us tried estimating the age of large searuns. I guessed that a 18"-20" fish was in the 8-10 year old range. Another fellow estimated 15 + years. I've always wanted to know. I know they are a rather slow growing fish. I'm...

www.washingtonflyfishing.com

 

[GAT]

That is a very slow growing fish considering they spend a lot of time in or near the salt... other anadromous critters grow quite fast when they are feeding in the ocean.

 

[Smalma]

To Gat's point in the North Puget Sound rivers both the bull trout and cutthroat smolt at about the same size and migrate to the salt at the same time. While the cutthroat a bit more of a home body both species are near shore animals feeding in the shallows feeding much of the same areas in the salt though there are definite difference in preferred forage (the bulls favor larger forage fish). Both species return in the fall of the year to freshwater to over-winter as predominately immature fish or sub-adults. After that first spring summer those cutthroat sub-adults are typically 9 to 11 inch fish whil the bulls are typically 10 to 14 inch with both fish over-winter in the lower mainstem (rarely migrate upstream past river 30). Both return to the salt for another season of feeding with the bull hitting the salt a bit early than the cutthroat but also returning to the river that second year earlier than the cutts. Those first anadromous bull trout are typically 18 to 20 inches while the first time spawning cutts are 12 to 15 inches. By age 8 the cutts will typically be 18 to 21 inches long while the bulls would be 28 to 32 inches long. The bull trout have the additional advantage of living longer than the cutts. As result a 5# cutt would be a massive fish while the bull might exceed 20#.

Both species are wonderful fish of all the anadromous species on those North Sound rivers are likely in the best shape and at least on my home river both are more abundant than 35 years ago.

Curt

 

[cedarslug]

To Gat's point in the North Puget Sound rivers both the bull trout and cutthroat smolt at about the same size and migrate to the salt at the same time. While the cutthroat a bit more of a home body both species are near shore animals feeding in the shallows feeding much of the same areas in the salt though there are definite difference in preferred forage (the bulls favor larger forage fish). Both species return in the fall of the year to freshwater to over-winter as predominately immature fish or sub-adults. After that first spring summer those cutthroat sub-adults are typically 9 to 11 inch fish whil the bulls are typically 10 to 14 inch with both fish over-winter in the lower mainstem (rarely migrate upstream past river 30). Both return to the salt for another season of feeding with the bull hitting the salt a bit early than the cutthroat but also returning to the river that second year earlier than the cutts. Those first anadromous bull trout are typically 18 to 20 inches while the first time spawning cutts are 12 to 15 inches. By age 8 the cutts will typically be 18 to 21 inches long while the bulls would be 28 to 32 inches long. The bull trout have the additional advantage of living longer than the cutts. As result a 5# cutt would be a massive fish while the bull might exceed 20#.

Both species are wonderful fish of all the anadromous species on those North Sound rivers are likely in the best shape and at least on my home river both are more abundant than 35 years ago.

Curt

Really glad you made it over here from the old site. Looking forward to more of your SRC posts

 

[Bruce Baker]

For those of us that fish Oregon estuaries for SRC, I found this feeding ecology study to be quite interesting:

https://odfw.forestry.oregonstate.edu/freshwater/inventory/pdffiles/Cutthroat%20diet%20Jones_et_al_2008.pdf

And here's a master's thesis that looks at spawning ecology of coastal cutthroat and steelhead in a California coastal lagoon. It specifically focuses on hybridization between the two species:

I participated in a population genetics study of coastal cutthroat trout in Washington conducted by NOAA and WDFW. There was some hybridization going on, but it was pretty low. One stream had quite a bit, but majority of the fish were collected in a transition zone. One WDFW hatchery brood stock was pretty bad. If I remember correctly, close to 50%. That brood stock was extirpated.

Thanks for posting that MS thesis