2016 bait found in fish
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tubber
Well-Known Member
It's interesting to read that the same bait is being found from Starfish to Port Hardy.
Here is Derby's picture.
I/we got fish at Hyson on all of the spoons below. They are lined up from worst (top) to hottest (bottom). All fish had the juvenile rockfish? above in them. Some were still alive. The skin of the dead ones dissolves quickly. It is more gold/pink/white than silver. I've been googling and can't find many pics of juvenile rockfish. The bait balls are thick, so I'm guessing it's an abundant species like the trawlable Ocean Perch (Sebastes alutus).
The Maverick in the middle was supposed to be the thing, but it is 4.0, and 3.5 matches the bait better plus the colour isn't similar. I think the UV and glow make it work.
The last picture is of some stuff I bought or tinkered together for this weekend in Ukee. My collection of big spoons and plugs is restless. I wonder how the Area G plug fishery is going with all this small bait around. Anyone know?
Here is Derby's picture.
I/we got fish at Hyson on all of the spoons below. They are lined up from worst (top) to hottest (bottom). All fish had the juvenile rockfish? above in them. Some were still alive. The skin of the dead ones dissolves quickly. It is more gold/pink/white than silver. I've been googling and can't find many pics of juvenile rockfish. The bait balls are thick, so I'm guessing it's an abundant species like the trawlable Ocean Perch (Sebastes alutus).
The Maverick in the middle was supposed to be the thing, but it is 4.0, and 3.5 matches the bait better plus the colour isn't similar. I think the UV and glow make it work.
The last picture is of some stuff I bought or tinkered together for this weekend in Ukee. My collection of big spoons and plugs is restless. I wonder how the Area G plug fishery is going with all this small bait around. Anyone know?
happy hooker
Crew Member
This is a juvenile rockfish. Pretty damn close to what we saw.
happy hooker
Crew Member
happy hooker
Crew Member
I don't recall seeing the extreme fork in the tail. They were all in different stages of digestion though.They sure look like a match, especially with the larger eye. Who knows...
RiverBoy
Well-Known Member
Tubbers pic above is the fish in question. No clear shot of its tail really. Alls I know is the fish we got at Nootka were stuffed with them. I didn't know rockfish were so silver and sleek before they grow and turn all " Stabby."
The Goldstar spoon in the series of pics above, the fifth or sixth down looks good.
The Goldstar spoon in the series of pics above, the fifth or sixth down looks good.
FishTactics
Member
Love this thread! These are juvenile pollock. They actually change quite a bit in appearance from 2" - 4" in length as they mature. They start out as more of a perch shape and become more elongated as they get larger. Maybe this is the mystery baitfish.
Three-spine sticklebacks?
Hey guys. The original pic and others I have seen on and off the forum are juvy rockfish. This is a great thread as it has been an interesting year for bait with this story and anchovy in many fish in the strait of Georgia. I am in the fisheries group at UVIc and always stoked to see unusual stomach content photos. Where possible I may be able to pass on to experts for Id
wishiniwasfishin1
Well-Known Member
Yeah, great idea for a thread. We were mooching off Sangster about 6 weeks ago and bagged a feisty 18lb red on a live herring. This was in his stomach - a couple anchovies and a couple shiners. Makes me want to catch some shiners and use them for live bait.
