Identification: Splake and brook trout have very similar coloration patterns, making it very difficult for the untrained eye to distinguish between the two species. Splake tend to have a slight fork in the tail, a trait passed down from its lake trout parent, while brook trout tend to have no fork or “square” tails.
What is the best bait for splake?
“During a normal spring, splake come into Hessel Marina in Hessel Bay, just after the ice goes out,” Ferguson explained. “The best baits to use are natural or artificial spawn, or you can troll for them while using hard baits throughout Hessel and Wilderness bays.”
Where are brook trout most commonly found?
Brook trout can be found in three types of aquatic environments with very specific habitat requirements in each: rivers, lakes, and marine areas. Freshwater populations occur in clear, cool, well-oxygenated streams and lakes with water temperatures that remain below 18.8 C and where there is little to no siltation.
What is the rarest fish in Maine?
Bluebacks (Salvelinus alpinus oquassa) are found in only a dozen lakes and ponds in Maine and no longer exist anywhere else in the contiguous United States.
Are brook trout and rainbow trout the same?
From a scientific standpoint, brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout are all unique species. While they share the same family (Salmonidae) all are from a different genus. Brook trout are a form of char, rainbows are a true trout,and brown trout are a form of salmon.
Are splake good eating?
Is Splake Good to Eat? Unlike many other hybrid fish species, splake are actually very good eating! In fact, their meat tastes delicious and manages to combine the best flavors from lake and brook trout.
How deep are splake in the winter?
In most cases anglers can find fish between 4-8 feet of water cruising a few feet under the ice looking for a quick meal. The first few hours of daylight are usually the most productive for splake so having your lines in the water early pays off.
What eats a brook trout?
Predators. Because few fish-eating (piscivorous) fish live in their habitat, brook trout have few natural predators. Where they coexist, small brook trout may be eaten by larger brown trout. Aside from humans, however, brook trout are most likely to be eaten by herons, snapping turtles and river otters.
What’s the biggest brook trout ever caught?
14.5 pounds and 31.5 inches long
The World Record Brook Trout was 14.5 pounds and 31.5 inches long caught by Dr. Cook from the Nipigon River in Northern Ontario’s Superior Country Region in 1915. To this day, that record still holds.
What is the lifespan of a brook trout?
Brook trout reach maturity in 2 to 3 years and live to about 6 years of age.
Where is the best brook trout fishing in Maine?
The rapid River is known for being one of the best brook trout fisheries in the entire country. Getting to the river involves either a boat ride or a decent hike, but the trip is well worth it. The river is not only beautiful, but it houses extremely large brook trout and a great salmon population.
How big do brook trout get in Maine?
Adult Size: Size varies greatly, depending on water temperature, productivity, and food sources. The statewide average length of 3 year-old brook trout in Maine lakes is 13.3 inches. However, same age trout from different lakes range from 7.5 to 17.5 inches in length.
What is the prettiest lake in Maine?
12 Most Beautiful Lakes to Visit in Maine
- Rangeley Lake – Rangeley, Maine. Credit: K.C. Dermody.
- Moosehead Lake – Greenville.
- Sebago Lake – Standish.
- Bowl Lake – Acadia National Park.
- Mooselookmeguntic Lake – Rangeley.
- Cobbosseecontee Lake- Manchester.
- Sebasticook Lake – Newport.
- Webb Lake – Mount Blue State Park, Weld.
What is the best tasting trout?
The Tastiest Trout
Yet, whether through sentimentality or not, I still find brook trout to be completely delicious. Their meat is as light and delicate as stained glass and has an almost sweet flavor when compared with the flesh of other trout species.
What is the rarest trout in the world?
The Paiute is considered the rarest of all trout in the United States and possibly the world, or so says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
What trout has pink dots?
RAINBOW TROUT
RAINBOW TROUT
The adults usually have a pinkish lateral stripe. Rainbow trout also have many small, black spots on the body. The tail is heavily spotted. The inner mouth and gums are white.
How big do splake trout get?
The maximum size is about 9 kg (20 lb), but fish over 4 kg (9 lb) are rare and are considered trophies.
What does splake taste like?
Splake get big like a Lake Trout but their meat is red and lean and tastes more like a Brook Trout.
Where can I fish for splake?
Splake are more liable to cruise flats, or hug the edges of reefs or rock piles. They also like to school and are often found in small groups. In some super clear lakes, you can see these schools of fish working like a pack of wolves.
How do you catch big splake?
Splake are most active in the spring and fall when water temperatures are cool. At these times, fish are shallow and can be caught on a wide variety of presentations. Casting or trolling small spinners or minnow imitating baits can be productive at these times, as well as using fly fishing tackle.
Can you catch splake with worms?
Strategies used on speckled and lake trout are also effective when fishing for splake: Light- to medium-action spinning tackle is commonly used for casting or trolling with spoons, jigs and spinners along deep-water points. The same areas can be fished with live baits such as minnows and worms.