TIGER TROUT

[LilWeezy]

After catching some splake the other day i was doing a little research on hybrid fish when i came across a Tiger Trout with the amount of brookies and browns found in this state i was wondering if anyones come across one, or if they stock in this state

[Anomaly]

I caught some in PA many years ago. Can’t remeber the lake....about an hour south of Binghamton NY. Never heard of em here. They looked mostly like brookies.

[ifishhi]

aka yellow perch

[Anomaly]

Here’s some pics: http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/gallery/kentucky/2007/03/beautiful-*****s-check-out-these-tiger-trout-photos

The ones we caught where definity mostly like the ones that look brookie/togueish

[TheOutdoorsman]

I think that I have heard of a few tiger trout in Maine, but not through the ice. 

They are stocked in certain waters in NY, but they do occur wild on occasion.  I captured a wild one while stream electrofishing in NY a couple of years back.





Cool critter.

[Litchfield Fisher]

didn't Maineduckhunter post pictures of one they caught a couple years ago through the ice here in the state?

[Jim_C.]

Great pics, Outdoorsman.  Didn't realize that that wild tiger trout were a possibility. Not intending to hijack the thread, but what's your experience been with splake.....any wild ones?

[Jim_C.]

I was thinking the exact same thing.

didn't Maineduckhunter post pictures of one they caught a couple years ago through the ice here in the state?

[TheOutdoorsman]

Great pics, Outdoorsman.  Didn't realize that that wild tiger trout were a possibility. Not intending to hijack the thread, but what's your experience been with splake.....any wild ones?

The stream that I captured it in held relatively high densities of native brookies, but only a few wild browns.  That sort of ratio probably helps produce tiger trout, since the tiger trout is a result of spawning between a female brown and male brookie.

I don't have much experience with splake.  We may have captured a wild one while boat electrofishing in the Adirondacks, but it was small and we did not kill it in order to confirm. 

[Jim_C.]

Thanks a lot for the info!

The stream that I captured it in held relatively high densities of native brookies, but only a few wild browns.  That sort of ratio probably helps produce tiger trout, since the tiger trout is a result of spawning between a female brown and male brookie.

I don't have much experience with splake.  We may have captured a wild one while boat electrofishing in the Adirondacks, but it was small and we did not kill it in order to confirm.

[WhiteSquall]

MDH
http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=132197.0

[TheOutdoorsman]

MDH
http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=132197.0

Thanks for digging that up!  I didn't even recall, but I do remember now.

[maineduckhunter]

MDH
http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=132197.0

Yep ya beat me to it!!! 

[oregonsonlyiceaholic]

Oregon F&W just stocked one of the high mountain lakes out here with tiger trout to try and get the tui chub population regulated. They are c&r right now. Ive heard they can overtake a fisherie within a few year. When that lake gets better ice I'll ice one and post some pics of them. Tight lines...

Simmy

[skidooguy]

A friend of mine caught one around my area once as well, in a stream thats full of brookies, and has a few browns as well. We didnt know what it was either at the time.

[saltyshores]

Like The Outdoorsman, I electrofished a wild tiger trout in Winkumpaugh Stream which is a tributary to Branch Lake in Ellsworth. The stream has lots of small brook trout, and is also the lake's major spawning site for brown trout, so they got together to produce a wild tiger trout. We used to electrofish this stream every year or two, but only saw the one tiger trout. It was beautiful.

Maine doesn't raise them in hatcheries. I understand that some other states produce them artificially in the hatchery setting, but egg survival of the hybrid is quite low. The hybrids are sterile.

[redneckskater]

dude i've never hear of this species until now

[chadroc]

the wild tiger is just gorgeous.  i have heard of wild ones down here in ct in brook trout waters but never have i caught a wild one.  ct stocks a good deal of tigers in the spring.....they are just cool looking fish:

[FRESHBAIT]

Cool looking fish for sure.   although its patterns match a leopard more than a tiger.   I thought one was caught here in maine at one point. 

[GasBlaster]

mdh caught one in maine last year i think . here is his pic .

[WhiteSquall]

I would love to see Maine raise these fish, because the hybrids are sterile they focus on feeding rather than breeding. They are an aggressive fish and feed on invasive species.

[sst4life]

I would love to see Maine raise these fish, because the hybrids are sterile they focus on feeding rather than breeding. They are an aggressive fish and feed on invasive species.

Just think what a tiger trout would do with the natural smelt population though. I could see them in put and take ponds that dont have access to bigger water bodies but places like Great Pond, Little O and that nature I could see them really hurting the smelt population since they are very aggressive eaters

[WhiteSquall]

Just think what a tiger trout would do with the natural smelt population though. I could see them in put and take ponds that dont have access to bigger water bodies but places like Great Pond, Little O and that nature I could see them really hurting the smelt population since they are very aggressive eaters

True. If managed correctly I think it would be interesting.

But then again, bucket bios would probably ruin that too...

[TheOutdoorsman]

I would love to see Maine raise these fish, because the hybrids are sterile they focus on feeding rather than breeding. They are an aggressive fish and feed on invasive species.

That is exactly what they already do with splake. 

[Colonel]

We have them in NH, F&G stocks them in at least pond they have a write up about on their website

[saltyshores]

The difference between tiger trout and splake is that tiger trout are truly sterile, so their feeding goes just to growth and not to producing lots of eggs or milt. Splake are not sterile, and their feeding produces a certain weight of eggs and milt, rather than all going to growth of the fish. However, even though splake are fertile hybrids and theoretically could spawn, there is no evidence of them successfully spawning in the wild of Maine because the habits and behavior of the males and females at spawning time does not bring them together in the right habitat. Splake have been stocked in Maine for many years, even back in the 1970's, yet there has been no evidence of them reproducing in the wild.

[TheOutdoorsman]

The difference between tiger trout and splake is that tiger trout are truly sterile, so their feeding goes just to growth and not to producing lots of eggs or milt. Splake are not sterile, and their feeding produces a certain weight of eggs and milt, rather than all going to growth of the fish. However, even though splake are fertile hybrids and theoretically could spawn, there is no evidence of them successfully spawning in the wild of Maine because the habits and behavior of the males and females at spawning time does not bring them together in the right habitat. Splake have been stocked in Maine for many years, even back in the 1970's, yet there has been no evidence of them reproducing in the wild.

Exactly. 

[SparkyT]

Beautiful fish, but I always thought tigers had stripes.  Looks more like a Leopard Trout to me! 

[SparkyT]

...or a jaguar

[Dags Bait Maine]

-Dylan