biology question!

[coachman]

Hello all,

pardon my ignorance of trout reproduction here, but I need to ask this. Only having been a trout fisherman the last year or so, I was more familiar with other species of fish. Fishing Cochran Shoals awhile back, I landed a large rainbow about 18" in my net. She had great color, but was clearly one of the larger stockers through the DH program. When I pulled her from the net, she emitted some liquid (like urine), then emitted quite a few whitish egglike things (just like cream colored salmon eggs)--these appear to be eggs, but is that the case?---if that's true, is just that she came that way from the hatchery? I know that in the past, there has been evidence of browns reproducing in the river, but not 'bows.---just curious! thanks in advance!

[Drifter]

coachdoode,

I think rainbow trout typically spawn in late January or early February. Bill Couch can probably help here as he is our resident fisheries biologist.

Drifter

[knot trying]

It could very well have been eggs as I was told by a Park Ranger that there were a number of "brooder's" that were released as part of the DH program.

Just because rainbow's are not naturally reproducing in the river doesn't mean that they can't try to spawn. I believe the success of the spawn has a lot to do with the conditions in the river (gravel bottom, food source, predation).

[Hooker]

Brown Trout typically spawn in the October/November, and Rainbows do it in the Spring, April/May. However, the hatchery raised rainbows have thier dates so mixed up to facilitate hatchery reproduction, you are likely to find a Rainbow spawner anytime of the year.