Male or Female trout, how do you tell the difference?

[Bedlam]

Was just sitting in my chair and I realized I've never thought about the sex of the fish I catch...must be a byproduct of marriage. Any tips on how to check the sex of rainbows and browns?

[Normand]

look for the lipstick and earrings!

[gqualls]

Now that's funny right there. Geez, I'm still laughing.

[Marco]

Ya gotta be kidding. It's obvious. The female is the one with the HEADACHE.


Mark

[alra195]

Jason,

It's not always easy but as the fish get mature and especially as they enter the spawn cycle two differences can become dramatic.

male brown trout.jpg
Male Brown - note hook on jaw

Female Brown.jpg
Female Brown - note no hook, nice rounded profile.

Male Rainbow.jpg
Male Rainbow - see, a hook!


Female Rainbow.jpg
Female Rainbow - Look, no hook.

While Lip Stick and Earings my be a good indicator, you can't always count on the girls getting all dressed up nor will this account for the occasional cross dresser. Look at the jaws and you'll get a better idea. The only other fool proof method that I know of is to gut the fish. Egg sacks, it's a female. Milt sacks, it's a male. While I don't recommend this practice, it does work.

Maybe other have some ways and will share as well.

[Steve Molcsan]

Ya gotta be kidding. It's obvious. The female is the one with the HEADACHE.

This thread needs to move over to the we need some laughs here thread!

[Bedlam]

Thanks for the obvious tips, and the less obvious hook in the jaw. Problem with the hook in the jaw, is every fish I catch seems to have the hook in the jaw.

[herefishy]

I think even in the non-spawning season, the jaw joint is farther back on a male, like past the eye on a male, and short of the eye on a female.

[waynep]

Thanks for the obvious tips, and the less obvious hook in the jaw. Problem with the hook in the jaw, is every fish I catch seems to have the hook in the jaw.

Then you are a sexist fisherman, catching all males!

[51BC]

Must be mostly female fish where I go, can't seem to put a hook in their jaw !