Splake ?

[Andre]

Yesterday off the wing dam in Lambertville I caught a 23 inch what looked like to me to be a male Splake. A splake is a cross between a brook tout and lake trout. I have seen to many big brook trout to not know one when I see one. My guess is this fish was gentically engineerd because it had a huge kype which it shouldn't have this time of the year. Brook trout spawn in the fall. I put it back so I don't have any pictures. I'm thinking put in the canal and came out during the flood. Does anyone know if there are any splake raised in hatcheries in Jersey or PA?

 

[Green Butted Skunk]

Spawning Brookies

Brookies which live in a pond can in fact go into their spawning morph. during the spring if all the temperatures are right for them. I have a constant reminder of that hanging on my wall in front of me. It is VERY easy to tell if it was a Splake.....Square Tail= Brookie..... Forked Tail= Splake

 

[Andre]

GBS, If it lived in a pond it was more than likely a hatchery pond as I don't know of any ponds in that area that are near enough to the river. didn't think of looking at the tail though. What I am sure oF was that it wasn't a brookie.

 

[rford]

Could it have been a tiger trout?

 

[Andre]

Pretty certain it was a tigertrout after seeing a picture. some think it may have come down from Muski.

 

[JeffK]

Probably a tiger trout. An article in the Newark Star Ledger says that the Musky Trout Hatchery lost 10,000 tiger trout up to 12 lbs from their Pohatcong facility and that shad fishermen in the Delaware are catching plenty of them. Wonder what will happen when the Delaware warms - those creeks mouths may hold some surprises.