Rainbow fry…Blue Marsh Lake??

[Andrwhite610]

A friend of mine shared this to our fishing buddies group text today. He was fishing for Bass and the unlucky fish crossed his Rapala. He thought it was a snakehead fry. It looks to me that it’s a rainbow. What’s going on here? I know there are rainbows in BM. Are they simply just reproducing in the depths? I found it interesting and thought I would share!

 

[Mike]

That fingerling fish is an Age 1 fish from the 2023 yr class if it is wild or if it was stocked in a trib by a TIC Program school. It is pretty small for an Age 1 RT that’s wild or TIC; they usually grow fast although it could be “the runt of the litter.”An option would be that the fish may be an escapee from a hatchery or nursery. Given the possibility of getting RT eggs these days in almost any month of the year the small size may make a it a hatchery or nursery escapee. Additionally, it has more of the darker coloration of some hatchery fish and some of its fins on the trailing edges appear to be imperfect.

 

[Andrwhite610]

That fingerling fish is an Age 1 fish from the 2023 yr class if it is wild or if it was stocked in a trib by a TIC Program school. It is pretty small for an Age 1 RT that’s wild or TIC; they usually grow fast although it could be “the runt of the litter.”An option would be that the fish may be an escapee from a hatchery or nursery. Given the possibility of getting RT eggs these days in almost any month of the year the small size may make a it a hatchery or nursery escapee. Additionally, it has more of the darker coloration of some hatchery fish and some of its fins on the trailing edges appear to be imperfect.

Not what you expect to see bank fishing the BM boat launch. Guess it had plans to jet ski this summer.

 

[JeffP]

A friend of mine shared this to our fishing buddies group text today. He was fishing for Bass and the unlucky fish crossed his Rapala. He thought it was a snakehead fry. It looks to me that it’s a rainbow. What’s going on here? I know there are rainbows in BM. Are they simply just reproducing in the depths? I found it interesting and thought I would share!
View attachment 1641234822

You would think if you were trout fishing for wild rainbows, you'd at least pinch the barbs down!

 

[Andrwhite610]

You would think if you were trout fishing for wild rainbows, you'd at least pinch the barbs down!

Hands dry as a bone. I’ll give my friend a talking to about his ethics.

 

[krayfish2]

I'm not sure you can label 17' water as 'the depths' 😂

 

[Andrwhite610]

I'm not sure you can label 17' water as 'the depths' 😂

Anything over 4’ is too deep for me..17’ can’t be Blue Marshs deepest point?

 

[wildtrout2]

Anything over 4’ is too deep for me..17’ can’t be Blue Marshs deepest point?

Fifty three feet deep. Google is your friend.

 

[Dave_W]

Neat - this is certainly a new one to see here on PAFF.

 

[Swattie87]

That’s definitely an odd looking fish, and if wild, it’s had a very rough first year of life. I think some form of stocking is more likely. Little wild Bows in my experience have fantastically translucent pink and sharp clean fins with white points/edges. All the visible fins on the OP fish are short and stubby and tattered. Does it even have a pectoral fin on the side pictured?

Confirmed wild Bows below, from areas that aren’t stocked, and have documented Bow natural reproduction.

 

[lestrout]

I'm not sure you can label 17' water as 'the depths' 😂

At this latitude, I think the thermocline needs 40 feet, so judging from the Army Corps cold water releases, Blue Marsh still has some deeper water left.

 

[Mike]

In early summer, which is when the thermocline sets up in Pa lakes, the thermocline usually starts at depths of 10-13 ft.

 

[caddisflyer]

Didn't one of the little tributaries to Blue Marsh have wild Rainbows? or am I thinking of some other Berks County creek?

 

[krayfish2]

That’s definitely an odd looking fish, and if wild, it’s had a very rough first year of life. I think some form of stocking is more likely. Little wild Bows in my experience have fantastically translucent pink and sharp clean fins with white points/edges. All the visible fins on the OP fish are short and stubby and tattered. Does it even have a pectoral fin on the side pictured?

Confirmed wild Bows below, from areas that aren’t stocked, and have documented Bow natural reproduction.

View attachment 1641234840View attachment 1641234841View attachment 1641234842

Your hands could do wetter 🤣

 

[Millsertime]

The fingerlings I've caught on the Brodhead always had adipose clipped FWIW.

 

[JeffP]

Didn't one of the little tributaries to Blue Marsh have wild Rainbows? or am I thinking of some other Berks County creek?

I've caught some on Plum but I thought they were fingerlings. Moselem has them, but doesn't feed Blue Marsh.

 

[Swattie87]

Your hands could do wetter 🤣

Just doing my part to stop the Invasives.

 

[Mike]

Confirmed hatchery fish.

 

[Swattie87]

Confirmed hatchery fish.

Are you able to elaborate on how that was confirmed? Not questioning, just honestly curious. If it’s something you’re able to share. If not, perfectly ok.

(I was of the opinion its origins were other than natural reproduction in the wild also.)

 

[Andrwhite610]

Are you able to elaborate on how that was confirmed? Not questioning, just honestly curious. If it’s something you’re able to share. If not, perfectly ok.

(I was of the opinion its origins were other than natural reproduction in the wild also.)

Also curious