Bullshead

[mickeyjim]

I hope I'm wrong, but Bullshead doesn't seem to be the same lake it was last year. Fishing has been very slow and I've only caught small fish. Talking to other guys out there and getting much the same reports. Seeing a pile of dead fish along shore, mostly nice sized ones.

Hoping that the lake didn't winterkill as bad as it seems to have. Was a real quality fishery before.

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[pikergolf]

Seems an odd winter for winter kill, was not particularly harsh or an excess of snow.

[tallieho]

I would place my bet on the age of those fish.Have exceeded there lifespan.If they are just the larger ones.

[mickeyjim]

Was a pile of weeds in the lake last year. Thinking they might have choked out all the o2 when they decomposed through the winter.

Regardless, it's not what it used to be

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[Strikemaster]

Read once the lifespan of a stocked Rainbow is around 5 years. Used to see this at Muir right after ice out. If there are no smaller fish that have died should be ok.

[mickeyjim]

Seen small ones dead as well. Not as many though

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[fishman]

Small fish need lot less o2. That's why minnows seems to survive partial winter kill

[Bhflyfisher]

Or it could be that people cant pick on bigger cruising spawn bound fish in shallow because triploids like to hang out deeper... No doesn't make any sense.

[shurshot71]

fished it today only caught 1 very slow never se
en anybody else catch anything . Way different than last year

[hacman]

Every year is different, saw dead fish last year too, big and small. I actually thought last year was worse than 2015. Only been out there once this year and it was better than any day I had out there last year. Water level is higher this year and with a colder winter I think they are just deeper than usual. Was out mid-April, windy and cold with nothing hatching that I could see, maroon and black leech was most productive.

[kinwahkly]

Been twice so far and it's been good .

[pikeman06]

Good lord that's a great trout. Nothing lasts forever it seems in alberta trout wise. You would think they live longer than 5 years? Swan., dolberg, cow, crawling valley, beaver, even old jack fish up by Myrnam had their moments but for whatever reason weather hot summer or bad winter never realized their full potential. Miller too. Those are just the ones I know.

[RavYak]

Originally Posted by pikeman06

You would think they live longer than 5 years?

Not much that is around the average lifespan according to many sources. In these mediocre lakes with huge fishing pressure they are lucky to live that long.