misfish Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 (edited) When does a steelhead,become a rainbow,or visa versa? It,s always been rainbows to me.Ya we call them steel,chomers,silver bullets in the fall and winter. I,m fishing the riv this weekend ,and it,s spring time,and to me ,it,s rainbows. Did I catch a rainbow,or a steelhead? Edited March 23, 2012 by Misfish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 I thought steelheads were searun fish that came up the fresh water rivers and if that's the case in Ontario, I would think we never have steelhead so I guess it should be like pickerel wrong word it's only walleye, if you listen to the know it alls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted March 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 I thought steelheads were searun fish that came up the fresh water rivers Thats what I thought aswell. Maybe it,s just a slang word given to the fall run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2fish85 Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 I thought steelheads were searun fish that came up the fresh water rivers and if that's the case in Ontario, I would think we never have steelhead so I guess it should be like pickerel wrong word it's only walleye, if you listen to the know it alls Thats what I have read as well. Probably because it sounds better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinker Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 Terry pretty much has it. A steelhead is a migratory rainbow. Whether they migrate from salt water, to freshwater, or freshwater to freshwater doesn't really matter. Rainbows are what I call land-locked. They are all 'bows to me, although the inland fish taste a lot better, and they're usually put and take, so bonking a few isn't hurting anything! S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 I think it's because I fought a rainbow.....sounds GAY...........not that there's anything wrong with that I fought a steelhead...sounds manly.........not that there's anything wrong with that I'm just saying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pikeslayer Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 http://www.anglingbc.com/index.cfm/page/75/Steelhead.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 Rainbows will live out their lives in the stream, river or lake where they hatched. Steelhead, while genetically the same fish, are sea run or in the case of Ontario, lake run. These fish spend their lives in the Great Lakes and swim up the tribs to spawn. Steelhead get to be larger than rainbows and are generally more streamlined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted March 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 Steelhead get to be larger than rainbows and are generally more streamlined. So all those little clone guys I caught this fall /winter, were rainbow,thinking they were steelhead? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey buoy Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 (edited) So all those little clone guys I caught this fall /winter, were rainbow,thinking they were steelhead? Yes!,no steel head in Ontario. Edited March 23, 2012 by davey buoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 Steelhead are anadromous rainbow trout. This means they are a rainbow that migrates out of it's natal river to an ocean or large lake (Great Lakes) when it smolts. It lives it's life in the ocean or large lake and when mature it returns to it's natal stream to spawn. It returns to the ocean/lake after spawning to return (hopefully) yearly on these spawning runs. A rainbow (non-steelhead) is one that does not drop out of it's natal stream into a large lake or ocean. It spends it's life in the river/stream it was born in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey buoy Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 (edited) Steelhead are anadromous rainbow trout. This means they are a rainbow that migrates out of it's natal river to an ocean or large lake (Great Lakes) when it smolts. It lives it's life in the ocean or large lake and when mature it returns to it's natal stream to spawn. It returns to the ocean/lake after spawning to return (hopefully) yearly on these spawning runs. A rainbow (non-steelhead) is one that does not drop out of it's natal stream into a large lake or ocean. It spends it's life in the river/stream it was born in. I was told,steel head are saltwater to freshwater to spawn,and they would never make it this far meaning it's cousins are rainbow,totally fresh water driven.Correct me if I'm wrong?Rainbow return to fresh water lakes as I was told. Edited March 23, 2012 by davey buoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted March 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 Steelhead are anadromous rainbow trout. This means they are a rainbow that migrates out of it's natal river to an ocean or large lake (Great Lakes) when it smolts. It lives it's life in the ocean or large lake and when mature it returns to it's natal stream to spawn. It returns to the ocean/lake after spawning to return (hopefully) yearly on these spawning runs. A rainbow (non-steelhead) is one that does not drop out of it's natal stream into a large lake or ocean. It spends it's life in the river/stream it was born in. Now I,m confused. A rainbow is a rainbow,but has two different names.A real rainbow is local to the river,but the other is a rainbow,that will live in a large body of water,then head to the river to spawn and head back to the big body of water,but given the name,steelhead. Maybe my next report will be,,,,,,,,,,,,, I caught a trout today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey buoy Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 (edited) Now I,m confused. A rainbow is a rainbow,but has two different names.A real rainbow is local to the river,but the other is a rainbow,that will live in a large body of water,then head to the river to spawn and head back to the big body of water,but given the name,steelhead. Maybe my next report will be,,,,,,,,,,,,, I caught a trout today. No steel head in southern Ontario apparently Brian. Italo said so :whistling:Just saying. Edited March 23, 2012 by davey buoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulus Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 No steel head in southern Ontario apparently Brian. Italo said so :whistling:Just saying. Technically, Lake O rainbows are just that, rainbow trout - because they don't leave salt water to go to fresh water. I've seen this defined elsewhere but can't remember. The only problem with this definition is that there is no real precedent for the great lakes - especially Lake Ontario which is unique (blue zone). So, because of that, you can call them basically anything you want. So... if Steelhead sounds cooler than Rainbow... p.- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaspumper Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 Could you imagine the stream fishermen with there 13ft rods and CENTER PIN reels saying they caught rainbows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey buoy Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 Could you imagine the stream fishermen with there 13ft rods and CENTER PIN reels saying they caught rainbows. What a difference a name makes ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillM Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 Steelhead live in the lake, spawn in the rivers.. Rainbows live in the rivers, spawn in the rivers. At least that's my view on things.. Rainbows = resident fish, steelhead = lake run fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted March 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 Could you imagine the stream fishermen with there 13ft rods and CENTER PIN reels saying they caught rainbows. I have no problem saying that. Ya.I am one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 Could you imagine the stream fishermen with there 13ft rods and CENTER PIN reels saying they caught rainbows. Actually I catch very few steelhead now. But every fall I catch tons of rainbows and occasionally a steelhead or two. Here's one of those little rainbows I chase after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted March 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 Steelhead live in the lake, spawn in the rivers.. Rainbows live in the rivers, spawn in the rivers. At least that's my view on things.. Rainbows = resident fish, steelhead = lake run fish. So those that fish the opener,are really fishing steelhead,not rainbows? So the wording "Rainbow opening weekend", is wrong" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 So those that fish the opener,are really fishing steelhead,not rainbows? So the wording "Rainbow opening weekend", is wrong" Not necessarily. There are lots of places that open on the 3rd Saturday in April that have regular rainbows in them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey buoy Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 Now you tell me what man or woman wouldn't be proud holding that fish(rainbow)I sure would be.I'd call it whatever it wanted to be called.lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted March 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 Actually I catch very few steelhead now. But every fall I catch tons of rainbows and occasionally a steelhead or two. Here's one of those little rainbows I chase after. Beauty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeytier Posted March 23, 2012 Report Share Posted March 23, 2012 So those that fish the opener,are really fishing steelhead,not rainbows? So the wording "Rainbow opening weekend", is wrong" They're the same species...steelhead is a term used to describe rainbow trout that migrate to spawn. Seems like a pretty basic concept...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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