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Thread: Half Pounder's

  1. #11
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Citrus Heights
    Posts
    2,142

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    Aron,

    You can use a 5 wt. right now. Not many 20+ inchers in the river right now. I've caught tons of smolts and several small stripers on my 5 wt switch rod the last couple of weeks. Bruce caught a 14" halfpounder last weekend mid-river. We're going to do a float tomorrow and I'm going to bring 3 rods: one for swinging, one for stripers and one for nymphing (which I probably won't be doing).

    Jeff

  2. #12

    Default

    Not trying to be argumentative or to hijack the thread here, but "half-pounder" is a term that gets thrown around a lot--even beyond Norther California and Southern Oregon--to the point that there really is a big difference between how we use the word in the angling comminity and how it is used by scientists. Given that true half-pounders return to freshwater after only 4-5 months in the ocean following smoltification, and that studies suggest it is the smaller smolt that are most likely to exhibit this life history, I would assume that from a biological perspective there are precisely zero 20"+ half-pounders on the American or any other river with fish that have true half-pounder life histories. I have often heard people make reference to the "half-pounders" they caught on the far reaches of Upper Rogue during fly season while showing pictures of fish in the 18"-22" class--which are neither biologically (due to the distance from the Pacific) nor legally half-pounders. I do not know anything about the American, but assume there are larger adults there as well and that there is probably the same situation in terms of identification.

    On the Rogue, for example, any fish over 16" is legally defined as an adult steelhead. I have always assumed this was driven by both the biolgical realities of what half-pounders are, i.e., sexually immature fish essentially hiding out in freshwater after only very short amount of time at sea and therefore diminished time to put on weight, and how half-pounders traits stunt growth, i.e., spending several months back in freshwater rather than at sea is one of the main reasons fish on systems with half-pounder life history are not as big on average when they finally return as adults. But who knows?

    Anyone know more specifics in regard to whether size alone is determinative regarding half-pounder life history? I know they generally use scale samples in studies to figure out if a given fish has the life history, but determing whether a certain fish at a given time is then in their half-pounder stage is different I would think. There was a study in 2011 that, among other things, suggested the half-pounder life history was, as a proportion of runs, decreasing at least in part due to the number of hatchery smolts released (hatchery smolts being larger than wild smolts and therefore less in need of finding shelter in their natal estuaries). So yet again another unintended consequence of hatchery reproduction that we do not understand in regards to all of the potential implications.

    So, long story short (I know, too late), can there be a true half-pounder over 20"?
    Last edited by bubzilla; 08-16-2012 at 01:34 PM.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Earth
    Posts
    297

    Talking Half Pounders

    You are very correct that a 21 in. fish would not be considered a "half pounder". Although that fish was probably a resident Rainbow, and on the Amerrican, we have "Anadromous" fish in the river right now.
    "God grant me the serenity to accept the size of fish that I catch, the courage not to fib about it, and the wisdom to know that no one would believe me any way".

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    El Dorado Hills
    Posts
    3,715

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    The half pounder things has been beaten like a dead horse so many times. Please, I beg of you all, lets not get into that again. Last time it got real nasty, if you do not like the term, please keep it to yourself.
    So long and thanks for all the fish!!!
    `·.¸¸.·´¯`·.. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.. ><((((º>

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    SacOfTomatoes, CA, USA
    Posts
    964

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff C. View Post
    Aron,

    You can use a 5 wt. right now. Not many 20+ inchers in the river right now. I've caught tons of smolts and several small stripers on my 5 wt switch rod the last couple of weeks. Bruce caught a 14" halfpounder last weekend mid-river. We're going to do a float tomorrow and I'm going to bring 3 rods: one for swinging, one for stripers and one for nymphing (which I probably won't be doing).

    Jeff

    Jeff,

    Thanks for the info and hope you get some on the float tomorrow. I will try to get out one of these days. I actually got a salmon last night and lost it. Another fun evening. The feather now has some slower flows so you can access the river from more areas and get a fly out there.
    Aron-



    "I own a time machine, but it only moves forward at regular speed..."

    "So many rivers to fish so little time!"

  6. #16

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    Aron

    for the past two years I have been using my 12 foot 5wt Echo TR rod when targeting the fall halfpounders. The 5wt works great. The largest HP I have landed on the 5wt is about 22 inches. What a great fight.

    Scott

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Rescue ,CA Cromberg, CA
    Posts
    1,857

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    I will be battling these fish with the ACR 11'7" 2wt trout Spey.... Should be fun! Will see how she handles it.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    SacOfTomatoes, CA, USA
    Posts
    964

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    Well you guys are encouraging me to run out my 5wt

    I did catch a Large Mouth about 2 weeks ago on my setup that I sold. It was also a 5wt setup and the bass was about 4 pounds. So I don't see and issue with these steelheads if you play the fish right. Thanks for info guys!
    Aron-



    "I own a time machine, but it only moves forward at regular speed..."

    "So many rivers to fish so little time!"

  9. #19

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    Mark
    When did you get the 11'7" 2wt, is it new, or is it really your 4wt.

    Scott

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    El Dorado Hills
    Posts
    3,715

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    When you get into a 25" wild like I did once, you will be glad you are using more than a 5 weight. That fish was hard to bring in on my 7 weight. I prefer not to work the fish too long. But if you want to use a 5 weight that is your choice, I just hope you don't get into anything big and wild that might possibly die in the battle.
    So long and thanks for all the fish!!!
    `·.¸¸.·´¯`·.. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.. ><((((º>

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