Are Kings cannibals?

[orangediablo]

Most predators, as well as kings, are opportunistic feeders. We've all caught kings small enough to make us wonder how they got their tiny mouths around that huge treble, so we know they are eating machines. But, are they cannibalistic? I've yet to fillet a king and find little kings inside it, but have only been fishing for them for <2 years. Anyone know anything about this?

[BSmaster]

Do not know with certainty but the story I have been told is that its time to let them out of the pens when the start eating each other.

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

Very cool question. In most fisheries where Kings are found, the fingerlings hang out in areas not frequented by larger Salmon. Steelhead, Bass, Rockies, and especially Walleyes at night feast on them, but the Salmon are just not in tribs or estuarys while the young are treking downstream. Mother nature sees to it as well as the simple fact that fingerling Kings are about the most agile fish in the Lake, and would be a tremendous waste of calories for a big King to chase around.

Thankfully, we have ample bait in Lake O. I have filleted many thousands of them since the late seventies and have found only 1 perch besides the normal Alewives and Smelt.

[GAMBLER]

We found largemouth bass in some kings and steelhead off shore after a huge upwelling off of Sandy Creek 2 years ago. Not what I was expecting when I cut the stomaches open.