Stocker Question

[djs12354]

Is there a point where stocked fish become carnivorous?

I can see the transition from pellets to things that resemble pellets in some way. And even to taking flies from the surface.

Just wondering what would "ring the dinner bell" when a small fish or amphibian wandered by? Instinct must kick in at some point?

Dave

 

[csoult]

As soon as they get hungry.

 

[snag]

Hunger....If I miss a couple meals, no wandering amphibian is safe.

 

[PennKev]

In my catch and keep days I caught trout that were loaded with crayfish during opening week.

Also keep in mind that minnows are a popular bait for stockies.

Kev

 

[pcray1231]

I dunno, I've done awfully well on live minnows on opening day in the past. And for early season stockers, with flies, buggers and streamers hold a major role, perhaps more than nymphs and wets, certainly more than dries.

They also separate size classes in the hatchery. The little guys DON'T go with the big guys. I'm assuming there's a very good reason for that.

 

[djs12354]

So it sounds like instincts over rule what you would think would be learned behaviors.
By this I mean, the hatchery fish are kept separate by size, so they have no exposure to smaller fish until they are stocked into the wild. They are fed pellets and start eating other things like insects because there is some resemblance to the pellets.
Hunger appears to be a great teacher.

Guess that satisfies my curiosity.

 

[pcray1231]

While fish will still eat pellets, or things that resemble them, when freshly stocked, I don't think they're exactly out there looking for things that look like pellets. Food still registers as food. It's just that pellets, as well as twigs, stones, etc., might also register as food, whereas it may not for a wild fish.

 

[Greenweenie1]

Everyone is spot on about hunger being the trigger. When it comes to food Stocked fish are a clean slate, they have no idea what is or what is not food and anything is game because they know no better. Over time, if they survive, they learn what is and what is not food and also learn what is not food that stings back when eaten.

 

[Jimbo87]

I think you've got a damn good point there Greenweenie - kind of the whole touching a hot stove thing. Touch a hot one once...probably won't do it again.

Although, I'm inclined to believe that trout have a much longer learning curve - when I'm fishing to keep them, I've caught them on powerbait and found nothing but powerbait inside.

 

[Squaretail]

They'll take minnows instantainiously. Once they see them and the movement, the dinner bell has rung.
Back in the baitfishing days, first day always consisted of start off with bread, then mealies, then crawlers, then finish up with minners.
Wild or stocked, no matter what the stream, threaded minners took them all and I'm quite sure I could catch more trout every year if I reverted to those days.
Just the satisfaction level drops waaaaay down.

 

[Chaz]

I've taken pellets out to stocked streams and had a fair amount of fun throwing them to stocked trout, they never outgrow the pellet.

 

[djs12354]

Looked at the start of the thread again and realized that I could have phrased the question better. I understood that hunger is the driver for the "diet" change.

I was wondering more along the lines of how long it seems to take for the change to take effect.

I can see a quick transition to things that are similar in size and shape to pellets and/or insects that the hatchery fish may have been exposed to. It's the change over to smaller fish and crustaceans that they may have not had exposure to that tweaked my curiosity.

Dave

 

[JackM]

Instinct rules. Trout have very little capacity for long term memory storage. There is the notion of "imprinting" in dumb animal behavior, but instinct will alway trump that imo.

 

[wgmiller]

Squaretail wrote:
They'll take minnows instantainiously. Once they see them and the movement, the dinner bell has rung.
Back in the baitfishing days, first day always consisted of start off with bread, then mealies, then crawlers, then finish up with minners.
Wild or stocked, no matter what the stream, threaded minners took them all and I'm quite sure I could catch more trout every year if I reverted to those days.
Just the satisfaction level drops waaaaay down.

+1