RVTA tag 1008..... Bow-a-saurus!!

[Polelock]

9.253 lbs and measuring 26.5 inches from the shore on a 1/4 oz kastmaster.

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q99/Pole-Lock/1008bow_zps29df30e8.jpg (http://s134.photobucket.com/user/Pole-Lock/media/1008bow_zps29df30e8.jpg.html)

[acabtp]

dayum! that'll put a bend in the rod!

[UglyStick]

That is one big Bow - great job... too bad he's not still swimming...

[jimmythegreek]

monster rainbow, I gotta get down there soon..........too bad no C+R on lots of these fish, keep a few little ones and let the breeders do their thing

[Polelock]

I'm going to say about 80% of RV tagged fish caught don't go back into the water... This may have been the anglers PB.. His call on what he does with it.. I have an empty spot on my wall for a big ol bow..

Rainbows nor browns can breed in RV.. :o

[Billfish715]

That is one big Bow - great job... too bad he's not still swimming...

Life and fishing are about making choices......personal, ethical choices. That fish is a trophy in any place in the world no less N.J. I have no problem with people who catch and keep fish as long as they are not wasted. Would that fish have survived if it were released? Maybe. Was it that big when it was stocked? Probably not. Given the size of the "Valley" would that fish likely be hooked again by you or anyone? The likelihood of that fish dying of old age is probably a better bet. Would that fish have grown much bigger? There is a limit to everything.....again probably not.

The smile on the angler's face is priceless. It's his trophy......probably of a lifetime. Don't deny his pride and accomplishment. Thank the RVTA for making it possible and send them a donation so maybe you can make your own ethical decision when you catch one.

[addictedtobass]

awesome fish congrats!!!!!!!!!!!

[UglyStick]

That fish is definitely a trophy and no one is denying the angler anything (as evidenced by my saying great job in my original post). I have no problem with an angler keeping a legally caught fish and agree it is there prerogative and yes, I hope he makes a donation to the RVTA who made his trophy possible.

Without debating whether a fish will die of old age before someone catches it, my point is simply that in today's age of a craftsman being to able to make an extremely long lasting super realistic mount from a photo and a measurement, it would have been nice if another angler could have possibly enjoyed this trophy also.

[FASTEDDIE29]

That's a beautiful fish and a Trophy indeed. Congrats to the angler on a fine catch. Thanx for the post!!!! Hope that angler is in the contest at the bait shop near RV! That would be SWEET!!!

[Super]

Nice fish!

It's a stocked fish. I would have taken the tag and released it, but they'll make more.

[Rybazłapać]

That is one beauty of a trout. Congrats to the man that caught great trophy.

Far be it from me to presume to tell another man what to do with any fish he legally caught let alone that absolute trophy.

[jimmythegreek]

for the record the replica mounts will outlast a real mount and look much better and in the long run will hold up, just need pics of both sides and a girth and length, simple, and the way to go IMO. And there is ALWAYS limited reproduction in every body of water, just not enough to make it a survivable fishery in most cases, and I cant be told different cause I have seen it first hand w my own eyes :)

[NorthJerzyG]

:eek: Def a BEAST!! Nice fish!!

[SaltLife1980]

thats a slob! Nice work!

[nightman973]

Damn. Hang it on the wall! I myself prefer going the replica anyway, but I've never caught a bow that big. Can't judge others in their actions.

[acaravaglia]

That's a nice trout! I have personally stopped keeping these monsters to let the swim another day and only keep a few smaller trout for the table.

[gwl2oneida]

First off nice fish! However if the fish was kept for mounting, I hope anglers are aware of how expensive mounts are? Personally I agree with what jimmythegreek said. I would do a foam mount simply because they last longer. As for the C&R debate remember this, you can only butcher a cow once but you can milk it everyday.

[bigfishy]

I don't blame him fer keepin it....Valley trout taste good....But no-matter where you catch em , smaller guys taste better by far:rolleyes:

As far as the valley and there trophy trout program....I have seen the numbers from tags returned....80% of the tagged fish that are caught have been kept...at least fer 2012-2013....Gr8 program but it erks me a bit when rvta members keep fish from their trophy program....Kinda defeating the purpose...

http://bigstarcraft.proboards.com/thread/427/trophy-trout-derby-facts-13

[ithaca10]

Awesome rainbow!!!!! Big Shout Out to RVTA. But i do have two questions.
A) Will that trout breed and produce young in RV.
B) Whats the survival rate on released trout.

[Polelock]

Rainbows nor browns can breed in RV

Most fish caught when the water is cold will survive.. Catching one of these in the middle of August when the surface water is 80 is another story..

[Bicey]

It's highly unlikely that rainbows will reproduce in the Valley. They do go through the process though. I have fished for them on the north shoreline when they were nesting, but this was yrs. ago.

As far as keeping the fish......to each his own. I don't keep any fish at the Valley and would almost feel guilty if I kept a trout that RVTA members paid for (a tagged trout). I will be sending my application to the RVTA because of the good work they are doing. I believe the bait stocking is gonna bring the lake back to the way it was or somewhere near.

[Jigman13]

Sick fish! Esp from shore! Congrats to whoever caught it. Def fish of a lifetime...

[jimmythegreek]

As far as keeping the fish......to each his own. I don't keep any fish at the Valley and would almost feel guilty if I kept a trout that RVTA members paid for (a tagged trout). I will be sending my application to the RVTA because of the good work they are doing. I believe the bait stocking is gonna bring the lake back to the way it was or somewhere near.

well said Bicey, Im sending mine in too altho ive only fished it twice in my life, its a beautiful body of water and the RVTA is doing good things

[flatcreek]

The merits of catch and release or catch and keep should not even be do discussed on this thread. I'm not going to post a catch if I'm going to have to listen to this crap about whether I should have released it or not.
Nice fish buddy.

[Matt116]

The angler is my buddy Bruce, He stopped by to show me the fish on his way home. What a SLOB! Happy to see such a nice guy get a nice fish like that. That man is a fishin magician!

[Moz]

Given the size of the "Valley" would that fish likely be hooked again by you or anyone? The likelihood of that fish dying of old age is probably a better bet. Would that fish have grown much bigger? There is a limit to everything.....again probably not.



I'm not going to go into the C&R debate but from personal experience....

A couple of years ago the first fish I ever pulled out of the Valley was a trophy golden trout. The tag was gone as a club member had caught and released it a few weeks earlier. It was a downright amazing day for me catching that fish and my application and check to join the club was sent in a day later. Really changed my outlook and appreciation for sport fishing, none of which probably would have happened had the fish not been released to make my day a few weeks later.

Not too long ago I was told by someone in the club that one of the goldens was caught and released 3 and maybe even 4 times. Those fish do get caught again is my point

In any case the shore guys have been nailing the trophies pretty good this season. Congrats to all of them.

[Mark B.]

Yesterday afternoon, wading RVR's eastern shore, caught on a Yo Zuri:

15" & 18" browns, 23" tagged rainbow: released 'em ('bow still has tag).

Had another BIG one on, but lost it. And, a couple of follows.

[Mark B.]

Yesterday afternoon, caught & released, 2 tagged mega 'bows.

@ the same area as my above post, they were about 24" but deep bodied / heavier than my last week's C & R. Had one follow by a smaller trout.
Theyr'e out there!

An osprey w/fish, flew high overhead harassed by an immature B. eagle. When a mature eagle joined in, the osprey dropped the fish into the res. But surprisingly, the eagles flew off, & didn't go after the fish

[Tightlines74]

Congrats on an amazing catch!!!