Different Color Rainbow Trout

[TNewsome]

I've always wanted to ask but keep forgetting... Why are some Rainbow Trout different colors? I tend to catch one color that is more golden, usually fatter, and stays alive longer. The other are more silver and die if you look at em. The gold color Rainbows have pink meat, and the silver ones have a white meat.

Is it because one is a native trout or holdover? The silvers are just stocked trout maybe?

[Travis C.]

I've always wanted to ask but keep forgetting... Why are some Rainbow Trout different colors? I tend to catch one color that is more golden, usually fatter, and stays alive longer. The other are more silver and die if you look at em. The gold color Rainbows have pink meat, and the silver ones have a white meat.

Is it because one is a native trout or holdover? The silvers are just stocked trout maybe?

Where are you catching these?

Most all you catch here are stocked not wild (go east TN for wild stream bred fish). The only native trout we have in TN is actually not even a trout. The Appalachian Brook Trout in east TN (high elevations) is a member of the char family.

[TNewsome]

Should have said where. Sorry. I fish the Caney Fork mostly.

[MNfisher]

I've noticed brook trout have s much yellower meat, but not a difference in rainbows...interesting


Mike

[Travis C.]

The fish who are relatively new to the river (fresh stockers) tend to have a more mushy and can be discolored meat. I believe it is due to the crowding and food in the raceways they are raised in. One longer acclimated to river environment and food supply there seems to be better quality.

Just my opinion.

[CrappieMan]

I've noticed difference too (of course I'm fishing southwest va east tn). Here are 2 I caught the other day...

[MNfisher]

Male and female? Those are nice by the way! How long?


Mike

[TNBronzeback]

Possibly where they are hiding out most of the time? Kinda like smallies where some are the green/brown colors and others have the deep bronze with the dark bars. Top one looks like a small steelhead.

[CrappieMan]

Both had eggs... They were stockers... The silver one was 21" (caught on worm) and the other was 21 1/2" (caught on white tm w/ gold jighead)... I rolled a 20"+ today on a bison tm but couldn't get it to bite again. Maybe I'll get it Wednesday

[TNewsome]

I believe we have an answer. I found this on Field & Stream. It appears that the longer trout live in the water plus have a diet of more bugs and crayfish (as opposed to more minnows), the faster they will "naturalize" to a more natural color. Super interesting.

http://www.fieldandstream.com/answers/fishing/trout-fishing/when-fish-trout/i-recently-caught-nice-rainbow-15-gold-ribbed-hares-ea

[Travis C.]

I believe we have an answer. I found this on Field & Stream. It appears that the longer trout live in the water plus have a diet of more bugs and crayfish (as opposed to more minnows), the faster they will "naturalize" to a more natural color. Super interesting.

http://www.fieldandstream.com/answers/fishing/trout-fishing/when-fish-trout/i-recently-caught-nice-rainbow-15-gold-ribbed-hares-ea

Interesting but my take away after reading is that only a few of the states (if true) who farm raise salmon for market are required to tell you they put dyes in the meat to turn it pink. Not all? Agree with the commentor only buy wild salmon.

[browntrout]

I have heard that they are now stocking these trout in the Caney. The meat is a lite pink but the problem is defuring them http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/19/bd323ce48e5a2ac521468c1f34359285.jpg


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[Halli]

18 years back we had a large cicada run and I gathered a bunch in a cricket box and went to the caney.

Fishing with the Cicadas I caught some of the largest rainbows ever there and they were forearm size.
We were camping at the dam so ate the fish in the evenings.
I noticed the larger trout had a peach color meat compared to smaller fish having white.

[CrappieMan]

Yep those large trout have an orangeish looking tint to the meat... Just grilled 1 of those trout. I keep a couple big ones a year to grill but I'd rather have crappie over any trout :)

[XxthejuicexX]

Just grilled 1 of those trout. I keep a couple big ones a year to grill

SINNER!!!!! I bet you keep big stripers from old hickory too!

[Alphahawk]

My first trip to the White River my son and I did the shore lunch for the trip. Wanted to experience the shore lunch but that was my first and last time to do it as it takes about two hours away from your fishing time each day. Would rather be fishing. Our guide was a 72 year old gentleman who I think has been guiding there for close to 40 years. I have used him a total of 3 times. All of our trout that we caught and kept for our lunch each day were all pretty much carbon copies of each other. But before the guide ever put the knife to each day's lunch he told us what the color of the meat would be....white or pink. Never occurred to me to ask him how he knew. But it couldn't have been from the size as they all were same size.

Regards


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