CHQ

[Joe Dolan]

I only like to catch the ugly ones....

[John Jarosz]

it looks like somebody beat it with an "ugly stick."

[Scott McKee]

John, who would ever hit Joe with an Ugly Stick? He's a great guy!

[Scott McKee]

Although Joe, I hope you named your fish "Marty", as in Feldman. What hump?

[John Jarosz]

Ha! ha..OK, maybe with a St. Croix

[Joe Dolan]

Between the size of the hump and the head, I named it..."Where is the rest of him?"  

Do you ever see fish with humps like this in the Niagara?  I am curious if it is something natural that causes this or possibly something that happens to them in the hatchery.

--Joe

[John Jarosz]

Joe..I know that with steelhead, looking at the dorsal fin is usually a good (but not absolute) clue as to whether or not it's hatchery or wild born.  The rays in wild born will be real, real straight.  The hatchery raised ones will have a bend in them from the crowding that happens.

I'll send the pic to Chris Legard.  he does a lot of netting & milking of muskies in Chaut.

[Joe Dolan]

Thanks, John.  We get a bunch of these hump backs every year...but this is probably the most severe I have seen.  I have always been curious what causes it.

--Joe

[John Jarosz]

Joe...I just got this info from Chris.  Next time, stand up straight or else you might be mistaken for one (just like in the pic)

"It’s a deformity that they get in the hatchery. Not sure what causes it but it’s not uncommon"

[Joe Dolan]

Haha.  Thanks, John!

[John Jarosz]

were you fishing with Chad? 

[John Jarosz]

Hey, Joe...BTW, since it's not uncommon in hatchery fish & you catch a bunch every season, are you fishing in the Chautauqua holding pond?  I never realized that the pond was deep enough for your boat to float!!

It is a nice fatty though...Congrats!!

[Joe Dolan]

Yes, Chad and I went out to pre-fish CHQ on Friday and then fished the NY Musky tourney on Saturday.  We had more luck on Friday with two mid-40s fish.  

Saturday was a real challenge with the strong winds that just never let up all day.  The hump back was our only fish for Saturday.