i dont think that those are stocker rainbows they nip the two front fins on the stockers and those look like natives to me good catch
a stocker that spawns i guess its not a native but its not stocked either thats what im talking about...ive helped stock around here and everyone we threw in had the fins clipped soooo...maybe its not the same everywhere but here its like that so the trout fisherman can keep logs and tell the dec what they are catching stockers or "natives"
Thanks mttrout, good explanation. I believe there is now a law requiring anglers to kill wild lake trout in lakes in Yellowstone to protect native cutthroats.
True dat! I am a biologist at MSU and work w/ people working on that very issue. I've seen some incredible pics of huge lakers w/ cutthroat hanging out of their jowls! It's not only having an impact on cutties, but terrestrial spp as well. Grizzly bears flock to the creeks to eat spawning cutthroat that come up out of the lakes as well as countless bald eagles. They have noted a decline in both griz and eagels along those creeks due to less cutthroat spawning. All in the bellies of monster lakers!