Mink bite

minktrapper

Does anybody know what a bite from a mink on a trout look's like.

viper123

From what I have seen mink are not particularly mobile in water compared to something like an otter or cormorant so it'd want to be a sick or sleeping trout he catches, hence in my opinion you won't find marks on too many trout, either they're caught napping or they get away clean.
I fish many rivers in the west with good stocks of otters and mink and I have only ever seen one fish with a proven otter mark on it, in that instance it was a perfect claw mark outline on the belly. The more obvious signs I see of mink are crayfish shells or fur from rats, rabbits etc.

I would have thought fish with bits of tail missing are more likely caused by other fish than by a prey who is not going to attempt to catch a fish by the tip of his tail... trout spawning on one local river of mine are well beaten up by other fish by the end of the spawning season.

Eddie B

minktrapper wrote: »

Does anybody know what a bite from a mink on a trout look's like.

Well that's not an easy question to answer! Maybe if you had a picture to show us, then maybe someone could give you an answer!

Mink do take fish! Saying that their not as sleek as an Otter in the water, and are far inferior when it comes to catching fish!

But during the winter months when the water is good and cold, and fish become sluggish, then mink have an advantage, and do take their fair share of fish!

Also I'd imagine when Trout and Salmon are spawning, that predators including Mink take quite a few!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

When Mink take fish they go for the peduncle area behind the anal fin. Not the tail.
Other fish at spawning time will bite and hold the tail.
A predator fish will frequently go for the tail.

As said, Mink are not agile enough or adept at taking many wild river trout.

Eddie B

Mink bitting off more than he can chew with this trout! Lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b3AKaBjU3o

Notice how sluggish the fish is! The mink wouldn't even get near the same fish in the summer!;)

minktrapper

Joe Delicious Livestock wrote: »

When Mink take fish they go for the peduncle area behind the anal fin. Not the tail.
Other fish at spawning time will bite and hold the tail.
A predator fish will frequently go for the tail.

As said, Mink are not agile enough or adept at taking many wild river trout.

And that is exactly where the trout we caught were marked.If I catch another fish with a similar mark I will photograph it.I remember all the ''bites'' being very clean cut almost like as if cut by a razor with no teeth marks.The fleshy part of the fish never the belly of the fish.

minktrapper

viper123 wrote: »

From what I have seen mink are not particularly mobile in water compared to something like an otter or cormorant so it'd want to be a sick or sleeping trout he catches, hence in my opinion you won't find marks on too many trout, either they're caught napping or they get away clean.
I fish many rivers in the west with good stocks of otters and mink and I have only ever seen one fish with a proven otter mark on it, in that instance it was a perfect claw mark outline on the belly. The more obvious signs I see of mink are crayfish shells or fur from rats, rabbits etc.

I would have thought fish with bits of tail missing are more likely caused by other fish than by a prey who is not going to attempt to catch a fish by the tip of his tail... trout spawning on one local river of mine are well beaten up by other fish by the end of the spawning season.

I do not mean the tail it self but the last20-25% of the fish would be well marked.

Eddie B

As said in previous posts lad, Mink wouldn't take enough trout to make a real difference to stock levels! I think you have to look at other reasons wby there are very little trout in the river!

Pollution maybe! Not as much nutrients as there once were!

Two things come to mind! My local little river was once a fantastic place to fish twenty years ago! It had plenty of big trout, and had a hell of a lot of mink on it! Today, its a shadow of its former self, its so low you can cross it in wellies in most parts, and the trout are tiny!

Secondly, the river I'm fishing now, although small, is very deep and has some fantastic trout, averaging one - two pound and up to five! This place is walking with mink! (Too far for me to trap)

So it's my opinion that the most important thing is the quality of the water, and no over fishing where it comes to fish numbers and condition!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

minktrapper wrote: »

And that is exactly where the trout we caught were marked.If I catch another fish with a similar mark I will photograph it.I remember all the ''bites'' being very clean cut almost like as if cut by a razor with no teeth marks.The fleshy part of the fish never the belly of the fish.

You are determined to prove to yourself that your river stocks have been wiped out by mink. A mink bite will be jagged and certainly not razor like.

How you'll photograph the next one is interesting, as you said no trout were left.

There are many reasons for reduced stocks and predation is rarely one of them.


You have otters so fish become cautious.

You have anglers taking fish from the same spots year after year.

But if you want to blame the mink, then fine.

SeaFields

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