While searching for the state record smallmouth for Pennsylvania I came across this as one of the qualifications for a record in the state of Pennsylvania. Maybe California should follow suit and do away with all those "records" from those BS amuzement park lakes.

"Fish must be caught in Pennsylvania waters open to the public without charge or fee. Fish taken from farm ponds, fee-fishing lakes, ponds or streams or in waters restricted to use by club members or their guests do not qualify."

Streams! Since when does catching a fish from a stream not qualify it for a record!? Hmmmmmmmm.....so if I happen to a catch record breaking fish from a small mountain stream, I'm screwed? But I didn't pay anyone to fish there. Hmmmmmm. Where do you draw the line?

Hey leapin', I here ya. I know where you're coming from, really I do. But...........those, as you call 'em, "BS amusement parks" offer good fishing to those of us who can't afford to take vacations every week and head up to prestine freshwater destinations to find those trophy fish. If I could I definately would but I can't, so I take my kids and we head to SARL or Irvine or wherever. I pay the money about four or five times a year so I and my kids can have an oppertunity to hang some nice fish. If it weren't for the "amusement parks" my girls wouldn't like freshwater fishing as much as they do. These "amusement parks" are definately not "BS" to alot of us fisherpeoples. JMO. And hey, you still have to bring in that big baby on your comparitively puny little rod and 2 lb test. Just my $.02, that's all.


GO BRUINS....GO RAMS....GO FISHING....!!!!
FLOWING THROUGH MY VEINS!!!!

GO BRUINS....GO RAMS....GO FISHING....!!!!
FLOWING THROUGH MY VEINS!!!!

Here we go again

I screwed up and said "BS Amusement Park Lakes". I have nothing against the lakes themselves and know where you're coming from. I only meant that I feel the records are BS.

Actually, I don't even feel that the records are BS. I just think they should create separate categories for genetically altered fish.

Streams - I had to read through it a few times. Although it's not worded right I believe they mean ponds and streams that are not open to the public. I could be wrong.

I use to work at " the " amusement park back in the day - Irvine. Ya, I think the whole thing on whether or not the big fish should qualify for records or not - it can be a fine line on some species. The big trout that are stocked and taken out a day later, well to each his own on that one. I'm with that other guy who stated that this is at times the only water close by and you got to work with what got to fish with. Now the largemouth aren't stocked but get roped into the category with the stocked fish. And the big catfish, man Irvine use to stock them big time back in the day when Steve Miller and Outdoor Safaris had the concessions. We would stock them in at 50 lbs + ! But now, ya right. No one has the $$$ to put forth and buy them. You know Texas and Florida has their own " pay " lakes and the good old boys back their pay big bucks to have " pure " Florida strain bass put in their. Look at what Texas is doing, in Texas the state has some program where they want your big bass alive. They keep your fish ( I think they gotta be over 10 or 12, I'm not sure ) and they try and get it to spawn with some of the other big boys they have. This way they keep the genetics in the family ( go figure, gotta be a southern thing !). This ensures the gene pool full of fry that have a better chance to reach toad status. The State of Texas in return for your fish will give you a fiberglass mount of your fatty, cool idea huh ? Texas is intent on breaking the next world record and taking it away from California. I heard that IGFA will closely look at any records coming from this type of lake, being that alot of people fish at these types now - I forsee more controversy. But hey, we all know the next world bass is coming out of Tri-City Park, right Kevin or is it Yorba Linda Country Club ?

Actually, the current world record bass was caught in Georgia.
It's #2, 3, 4, etc that are California records.

Cause we all know we got it.

Muskyman, shut your mouth!!! Don't be giving away Kevin and my's secret spots. We've transplanted several fish back in the day to these fine urban fisheries.LOL...
The Texas operation is called "Share a Lone Star Lunker", and they are probably the most progressive state in researching and coveting the genetics of lunker bass. We in California have big bass almost inspite of our states fishery management. All I want the DFG to do is stock trout, quit poking and prodding my fish. It doesn't do any good.

Hey guys, and more importantly Leapin' Bass. If I gave you the wrong impression about how I feel on this subject I do apologize. In no way was I angered or perturbed about what you said Leapin', I just want to make that clear. We just all have opinions and that's what makes this board so great. We can all express our feelings and hope to get some feedback on these issues by our fellow anglers, or as I prefer to call us, brothers and sisters. After all, that's what this board is all about, right? We're all a fellowship of brothers and sisters when it comes to fishing and should have comfort in knowing that we all care deeply and passionately about this greatest of pastimes( or as I prefer to call it, lifestyle! ) No one should expect us all here to share in the same ideas or opinions of the next person and we should all be encouraged to voice our own as one would with his/her family members. This is how I feel about this board folks ( Thank you Rob, for making this all possible. )and I hope that all of you share in this philosophy with me. Again, leapin', I am sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. There were absolutely no ill feelings whatsoever.


GO BRUINS....GO RAMS....GO FISHING....!!!!
FLOWING THROUGH MY VEINS!!!!

GO BRUINS....GO RAMS....GO FISHING....!!!!
FLOWING THROUGH MY VEINS!!!!

No apology necessary.

I'm not a trout fishermen so it really doesn't affect me one way or the other. I try and imagine what would happen if they started genetically engineering largemouth and a day after a 30 pounder was put into a tiny lake someone caught it on an M & M and it was considered for the record - that would be a shame.

Separate genetically altered (or engineered) fish into another category. That's my vote.

So let me get this straight Leapin'

Are you trying to tell me that this beautiful "Lighting Trout" caught at SARL should not be a contenter for a record.. state or otherwise?

Don't forget to mention now that the "Lightning Trout" and all other big fish were all caught on CRAVE..... *lol* even though at all other lakes, I never seem to see Crave catching them? Hmmmmmm......

Tight Lines,
Jason Huckeba

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http://www.SoCalFishing.net

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Dude, Nice pic and congrats; but that's no trout. That leviathan was manufactured, and you bought it just the same. War "not paying to fish." PEACE OUT!

You guys crack me totally up! These are NOT genetically altered OR manufactured trout any more or less than any other planted fish. The so-called lightening trout are the result of a genetic MUTATION, a naturally occuring phenomenon. The reason you don't see them occuring in the wild is that birds and other predators see them long before you do, because they do not camouflage into their natural environment. You breed them between other color variants and back to the original strain to get new or different color variants. Getting those to spawn true to their parent's genes is the hard part.
BTW, there is another "breed" of trout coming to the Lakes this fall. They are calling it a "Tiger" trout. I caught one last year that they said was planted by accident. Green blotches (looked like broccoli stalks) across the back and down the sides, over the olive/yellow sides of the "thunder" trout. Cool looking.

food coloring

Hey Marley

So let me get this straight? So the Rainbow trout from a state hatchery, alpers ranch, or whitewater fish hatchery is no different then Mt. Lassens? The lightning trout, are genetically altered to look that way, just like the other trout they plant are genetically alterated to not waste there time to reproduce, thats how they grow so quick in size over time.

Now if I saw a trout like a lighting in the wild, that would be an albino trout, most likely it would not grow to be a big size, because of a few factors. One is the color which you point out, which would make them an easy meal, but also most albino animals, are born blind, you'll see this more in reptiles then mamamals. In the wild you'll see this more with species which have inbred...

As far as your tiger trout goes, I don't know if that was a joke or not, I just hope thats what it is meant as.

Tight Lines,
Jason Huckeba

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http://www.SoCalFishing.net

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Yep! The are genetically altered or "manufactured" and therefore not the same animal.

Tiger Trout: There is already a fish called a Tiger Trout. I heard about it back in the 80s. It is a cross between a female brown trout and the male brook trout. The cross can occur in nature (rare) but the offspring are infertile.

Leapin' Bass you're right I forgot all about that I did a search on the net and hers what I found..... http://www.roundrocks.com/rocks/tigertroutinfo.html
http://www.patrout.org/tiger.htm
http://www.usda.gov/oc/photo/95cs2174.htm

and here are some pictures for ya....


http://www.patrout.org/tiger.gif
http://www.usda.gov/oc/photo/b95c2174.jpg

Tight Lines,
Jason Huckeba

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http://www.SoCalFishing.net

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Not exactly what I said. There are differences between what DFG grows and what Mt. Lassen grows. DFG uses mostly two strains, the Coleman and the Eagle Lake. Mt. Lassen has bred their own strain. Hence the different color patterns. Or, in Mackey's fish, the LACK of color. Color patterns are also effected by the water that the trout grows in, so local differences do occur. Catch a feral/wild fish in the San Gabriel river, and it will look a bit different than one you catch in Piru Creek, although their parents were likely siblings from the same hatchery.
According to what I have read, the colored fish from Mt. Lassen are a mutation that were discovered in a raceway several years ago. Mutations happen every day in nature, most simply fail to thrive. These just happened to occur in a controlled environment and were exploited by the hatchery.
BTW, is you ever catch one, there are very thick and heavy for their size, and they do fight rather strongly. Their meat is a salmon color and has a lot of intramuscular fat, so the flesh is very moist. They are superb barbecued like you would a salmon.

Nope, no joke. I will post a link to Moment of Fame when I get the address back. This is a real thing, although I think they should call it something else because their really is a "Tiger" trout, a (mostly) sterile, naturally occuring F1 hybrid.