Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: wallpin on October 08, 2010, 09:23:41 PM
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I was at the stave earlier today to kill some time when I caught what I thought was a cuttie. When I picked it up and to my surprise it was a 12 inch jack!
I quickly let it go and for the next 15 mins I was onto multiple hook ups with these mini springs, must have been a school.
I had no cam but it was definitely a spring with the spots on the back and tail, forked tail, and black gums. I also saw a school of 5 - 7 of them in the spawning channel when I left.
My question is do jacks come this small or is this just a small group of confused fish?
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could be hoe jacks, I've caught a fair number at the stave
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I've also caught these type of jacks before, also some really small coho ones, so it's not just happening at the stave.
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last year i caught quite a few mini jack springs...anywere from 8-12'' and STINKY SLIMEY little bastards they are
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They are awesome eating.
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Is there minimum size requirement for jack springs?
I've caught pikeminnows that could eat these things :D
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Is there minimum size requirement for jack springs?
I've caught pikeminnows that could eat these things :D
30cm or more for all salmon except coho which is 25cm. That is just a general rule and each river it may also change.
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last year someone posted a picture of one of them caught in Capilano river.
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I caught 3 in a day on the Fraser this year and they were all around 30cm give or take a few.
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I've caught them before to they are sure cool looking at that size. The one I caught was just under 12 inches.
Justin
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This post has caught the attention of geneticists from DFO's Nanaimo Research Station. They would like to receive some DNA or better yet, a whole fish for analysis. I don't have all the particulars but if any anglers capture more of these unique fish and would like to help a developing science, please call DFO's Gary at 604-809-7213
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FWIW I caught mine on September 12th in a short span of time in the South Arm of the Fraser (Richmond). I tried a few times after and never caught anymore.
They day I caught them there were a TON of fish jumping and finning.
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Is it possible that they are not jacks, but chinook smolts getting ready to enter the salt?
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The size indicates they are not jacks, thus this interest. A jack is generally described as a precocious male of any salmonid species but females do happen, especially with Cultus sockeye. Normally these fish return one year earlier than their cohorts; possibly these fish described are returning even earlier than is normal, which could indicate ???
I'm just happy there are respected scientists interested in this stuff. :)
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...possibly these fish described are returning even earlier than is normal...
They exist this year for whatever reason, but the real jacks are low in numbers WCVI. ???
Stamp this fall:
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/Tracks/Ians_012.sized.jpg)
Not alone in this system.
Wondering...
Nog
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They exist this year for whatever reason, but the real jacks are low in numbers WCVI. ???
Stamp this fall:
(http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/Tracks/Ians_012.sized.jpg)
Not alone in this system.
Wondering...
Nog
Looks almost like a pink/chinook hybrid or a pinook.
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Me and a buddy caught one 2 years ago in the vedder on a woolly bugger.
It was only 10 or so inches long, but looked like a mini spring. Was pretty cool.
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I caught one in the vedder on roe one month ago.
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Does this count? Caught two years ago on the Vedder.
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c222/leapingsteely/DCP_2385-1.jpg)
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Stratocaster I caght a fish that looked just lik the one in your photo a week ago. The wierd thing was the grey along the side, white stomach and white outlining around the spots on the back.
Justin
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These small fish exist among all salmon species as far as I know. Ive been catching an odd one every year for as long as ive been fishing. And these are atlantic salmon i grew up targeting in Ireland. Little rockets they are (atlantics this size anyway).
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An American sport fishing publication (Salmon & Steelhead Journal, Spring 2010 Volume 7 Issue 12) reports that the percentage of jacks in the returning chinook runs has surged in recent years from typically 3% up to 28% and higher, as high as 40% for the Columbia spring run. This has resulted in serious overestimation of the subsequent returns of mature fish. This phenomena is most evident on the Columbia but has been noticed in other rivers, even as far away as the Kenai in Alaska. Nobody seems to have any idea why this is occurring but it is apparently most evident in hatchery enhanced runs.
They define maxi-jacks as 2 year old males returning form the ocean, typically as 4 to 6 lb fish. Mini-jacks they describe as males that never go to salt water and mature as two year olds. Jennys are mature two year old females and rare. They don't specifically mention a surge in mini-jacks.
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This phenomena is most evident on the Columbia but has been noticed in other rivers, even as far away as the Kenai in Alaska. Nobody seems to have any idea why this is occurring but it is apparently most evident in hatchery enhanced runs.
They do know why.
Jacking occurs when the fish smolts at a large size. Hatcheries grow their fry to a large size before releasing them into the river.
If the size is too large when the fish go to sea, they grow faster and come back as jacks.