New Melones 1/1/11

[fishingaddict]

My nephew and me decided to tough it out and decided to try bass fishing at Melones. 5 hours of fishing for a big goose egg with rain off and on. I guess the 3 days of cold snap didn't help either.

We'd decided to go for trout. Tied on our secret crank bait on our crappie pole with 4 lb test and started trolling, not 5 minutes goes by and bam. For the next two hours it was fish on every 5 to 10 mins and somtimes one after another. We caught about 25 or so and kept some for the table, the biggest one was 14" long only. All of them had there dorsal fins so none of them were planters. Saved by the trout and left the lake smiling.

[Reel Fun]

Im not sure if the dorsal fins get clipped when planted?? If you caught 25 or more Im sure they were planters? Holdovers usually are bigger than 15 inches? Sounds like you had fun!!!

RF

[fishingaddict]

Huh, and all this time I thought the planters got there fins clipped. Good to know.

[steevo44]

I believe only the salmon and steelhead get it clipped

[HookedForLife]

The dorsal fins on trout are not clipped, but they usually have dorsal fin erosion from nipping under crowded conditions in hatcheries when they feed. Also, look at the caudal tail fin and see if it is worn on either or both sides, which is also an indicator of hatchery rearing. If all the fins are whole, then it may be a wild fish or was stocked as a fingerling from a hatchery.