# Pond Spawn?



## Ton_Def (Dec 23, 2008)

So here I sit at Jensen, soaking up some sun. The fishing is fast and they're feisty. Must've been the storm. Or not. I hooked into this Bow that might explain. He was real dark, shooting milk, and had a little kype!

Questions:

Aren't stocked fish generally sterile? Would they still go through the "motions"?


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

The only stock fish that would be sterile would be the hybrids. Stocked rainbows are perfectly capable of reproducing along with the cutthroats.


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## Ton_Def (Dec 23, 2008)

My bad.  
I've never seen them spawn in the ponds. Maybe they don't last that long...


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## tye dye twins (Mar 8, 2011)

The brown trout at the ponds shoot eggs everywhere too!


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

Even sterile ones go through the motions. The biology for instinct is still there, as are all the parts, but because they are genetic triploids, the result of the action is non-viable combination of eggs and milt. If I remember right, there have been instances of fish that were supposed to be sterile which were still able to spawn and create offspring.


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## Grandpa D (Sep 7, 2007)

The answer is yes and no.
Most Rainbow trout that are stocked in Utah are sterile.
That is the reason that Rainbows are used so much in this state.
They can be manipulated into spawning when needed, by the DWR
This way the DWR can control their numbers and not worry about over population.
Another myth is that stocked Trout have clipped fins to identify them.
Only in a few waters are there Trout with clipped fins.
In these waters, there are also natural bred fish and in these cases, the DWR wants the stocked fish to be recognizable. 

Currently our Community Ponds are being stocked with Brood Stock Trout. These fish are not sterile and may in fact have sperm or eggs in them.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Grandpa D said:


> The answer is yes and no.
> Most Rainbow trout that are stocked in Utah are sterile.
> That is the reason that Rainbows are used so much in this state.
> They can be manipulated into spawning when needed, by the DWR
> ...


Grandpa D: How are they sterilizing the rainbows before they leave the hatchery? I know that a fish such as the tiger trout is sterile just because of its genetic make up but I didn't know that they could do it to the rainbows as well.


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## Grandpa D (Sep 7, 2007)

The method that I'm aware of is to shock the eggs.
This method has been used for many years.


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## REPETER (Oct 3, 2007)

Grandpa D said:


> The method that I'm aware of is to shock the eggs.
> This method has been used for many years.


Interesting. So by that method, the bucks wouldn't be affected at all.


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

REPETER said:


> Grandpa D said:
> 
> 
> > The method that I'm aware of is to shock the eggs.
> ...


Actually, the fish are called "triploid" (males and females). Which means that the fish have a full extra set of chromosomes. Both genders are sterile when treated in this manner.

It should also be pointed out that many of our stocked rainbows are *not* triploid at this time, but are standard, regular, diploid, fully reproductive rainbows. As you can see in this link, most of the hatcheries still produce diploids.

http://wildlife.utah.gov/hatcheries/

Most of the rainbows planted in the community ponds are probably just standard diploid and fully reproductive rainbows. The habitat won't likely allow reproduction nor hybridization with cutts in these spots so they use the less expensive diploid fish.


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## Ton_Def (Dec 23, 2008)

[/quote]


Chaser said:


> Even sterile ones go through the motions. The biology for instinct is still there, as are all the parts, but because they are genetic triploids, the result of the action is non-viable combination of eggs and milt. If I remember right, there have been instances of fish that were supposed to be sterile which were still able to spawn and create offspring.


That's one thing I wasn't sure on at all. Thanks for the info! I've always wondered if they still had the instinct regardless of sterility..



Grandpa D said:


> The answer is yes and no.
> Most Rainbow trout that are stocked in Utah are sterile.
> That is the reason that Rainbows are used so much in this state.
> They can be manipulated into spawning when needed, by the DWR
> ...


So the answer is yes AND no?? :shock: This just adds to the confusion...  
At least I'm not losing it, in thinking that they stock sterile Rainbows. Other people have heard/seen this as well!

So it goes from "my own imagination" to "Urban legend"! :lol:


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