I live close to an estuary and have discovered a puzzle that someone here can perhapd clarify for me. Cohoes(or silvers) Are born into small creek and river systems-live there for a year and then migrate to the ocean-where they travel -supposedly northward following the krill and forage fish. Two years later they return to their native streams to spawn-continuing the cycle. From hatchery fish samples in my estuary fish are caught here that come from many diverse locations some from Washington and Oregon as they are migrating southward. What I don,t get is that last year I was catching and releasing fish in the eight to ten inch sizes-2 year old fish-from my home estuary. This spring I am catching them and they are now entering their Third year of life and they have not left the estuary. By the fall they will be five to ten lbs and ready to spawn. Is this common to Cohoes to stay in the estuary in which they were born?
B.C.Nick