Know your fish: if you catch a bulltrout, throw it back
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Check out bull trout identification before participating in the event. Go to the www.mackdays.com website or Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks website to check out bull trout and lake trout identification. Ask for information; we would be glad to provide you with ID brochures. By-catch of the smaller bull trout is higher in the Spring events than the Fall events. They are very difficult to distinguish from the smaller lake trout. The spots on the side of the fish are very pale and do not show much color — red, orange, or pink or even no color at all. Look at the tail and spread it out. Bull trout will not have as deep a V in the tail but some will fool you with a slight V. You then need to look at the spotting along the back from the topline of the fish. Spots that are rounded and evenly placed indicate a bull trout. The larger bull trout coloring can also be very pale; no orange or pink spots may show. Again, look at the tail and the spots on the topline of the fish. You have to look at each fish carefully.
If you have any doubt about the ID of the fish put it back. Do not chance turning in a bull trout.
We are required to report bull trout violations to the proper authorities and other agencies.
Many contestants have received fines and if the number of bull trout killed becomes too large it may jeopardize the future of the contests.
