F
fishinmaniac
Guest
fishinmaniac
F
fishinmaniac
Guest
Sorry about the previous post....
I have been told blind people identify springs by the smell. Springs have a strong odor that other salmon don't. I have used the smell test to ID springs and pinks and I can honestly say it never fails.
I have been told blind people identify springs by the smell. Springs have a strong odor that other salmon don't. I have used the smell test to ID springs and pinks and I can honestly say it never fails.
Captain Dudds
Well-Known Member
thats true, lots of time you can smell it if a guy just got a spring, even boat to boat. its kind of a musky smell and its always there, even on the little ones.
TheBigGuy
Well-Known Member
I'm not justifying it, but every one makes mistakes now and then. I try to be very conscientious about size, species, and gear regulations. I have been salmon fishing for over 35 years. I consider my species identification pretty good. I was out fishing for some late run Cap Springs last fall around Thanksgiving. Figured I might pick up the odd Chum considering the time of year. Caught one and brought it to the boat, not much of a fight though. It was around seven pounds and nice and bright. Figured it was a nice clean Chum and tossed it in the box. Got home, looked again and was shocked to figure out it was a Sockeye. Oops, they were closed. I'd never caught a Sockeye in October, let alone the middle of October. Never even occurred to me they were still around then, and chrome bright at that. Live and learn. I'll be extra carefull that I don't do that again.
juandesooka
Active Member
Interesting follow-up to this fish ID thread.
The new 07-09 regs have some new salmon pictures and updated descriptions, which I think will help a bit.
They talk about how chum and sockeye are often mistaken, because both lack spots on the tail and have similar colouring. It also says to look for silver streaks in the tail. But here's the one that's weird: it says chum are identified by white tip on anal fin, but the sockeye and chum photos both have completely white anal fins. Anyone know the deal with that?
Not that it matters hugely, just curious. I get the impression that the way you'll tell a chum and sockeye apart is mainly size and time of year: chum are big and sockeye usually aren't, sockeye are early season and chum are late.
The new 07-09 regs have some new salmon pictures and updated descriptions, which I think will help a bit.
They talk about how chum and sockeye are often mistaken, because both lack spots on the tail and have similar colouring. It also says to look for silver streaks in the tail. But here's the one that's weird: it says chum are identified by white tip on anal fin, but the sockeye and chum photos both have completely white anal fins. Anyone know the deal with that?
Not that it matters hugely, just curious. I get the impression that the way you'll tell a chum and sockeye apart is mainly size and time of year: chum are big and sockeye usually aren't, sockeye are early season and chum are late.
Red Monster
Well-Known Member
How often are you going to catch a bright silver-looking chum? I never have.
You catch chum when they are returning to spawn, and they have already started to change colour before they hit fresh water. I guess because they have started to turn, they also have rather distinct heads you don't see on other salmon in the salt.
So I think it's hard to confuse a sockeye with a chum.
You catch chum when they are returning to spawn, and they have already started to change colour before they hit fresh water. I guess because they have started to turn, they also have rather distinct heads you don't see on other salmon in the salt.
So I think it's hard to confuse a sockeye with a chum.
wolf
Well-Known Member
Well red we get chum early in june up near craycroft flower etc and they are really chrome but are easy to tell by the mouth going past the eye. Fish id is easy you have to STUDY and in doubt throw it back or learn it!!!!! ignorance isnt an excuse I get really tired of seeing people at the cleaning station especially when I tell them thats a coho not a pink and those are the easist to id the rules are there for a reason obey them pretty simple to me, but some people have the mentality im only getting out 3 times this year so im keeping everything.
You can tell have the time by looking at them in the water what they are!!!!!!!
Can you imagine going hunting and shooting a mule deer buck instead of a whitetail and telling the co well I couldnt id it think he would throw the book at you.
I wish they would here.
My rant for the day
Wolf
You can tell have the time by looking at them in the water what they are!!!!!!!
Can you imagine going hunting and shooting a mule deer buck instead of a whitetail and telling the co well I couldnt id it think he would throw the book at you.
I wish they would here.
My rant for the day
Wolf
Red Monster
Well-Known Member
Yes, the chum heads look weird compared to other salmon, kinda dog-like.
Maybe I'd like the taste of chum more if I could catch them when they're still silver. I won't even bother to smoke a chum. The ones around Vancouver can still fight like crazy though. [8D]
Maybe I'd like the taste of chum more if I could catch them when they're still silver. I won't even bother to smoke a chum. The ones around Vancouver can still fight like crazy though. [8D]
TheBigGuy
Well-Known Member
Just for the record, I have caught more than a few nice chrome bright Chum in Vancouver in the fall. I've also caught them so but ugly I couldn't believe a fish like that could still be in the chuck. One of the best fighting fish I've ever caught was a 18 lb chum off the bell buoy, but man was it nasty looking. Some Chum are still chromers in the chuck though, more so when not caught right off the river mouth.
TheBigGuy
Well-Known Member
I admitted I made a mistake, it was unintentional but I should have been more careful. I just returned from Bamfield where the regs are very specific as to where you can keep hatchery and wild Coho. Before I would even consider keeping a Coho in the hatchery only areas I would bring it along side the boat for a look. I would never net a fish that I might be releasing. I don't make a habit of bonking fish then doing species identification later. As a matter of fact I rarely bonk any of the Salmon I catch. I didn't keep one Salmon for myself on my trip to Bamfield. I don't feel guilty about bonking a Chum, and unfortunately that was the only Salmon I kept last year. I apologize for the misidentification, but it wasn't because I was in a frenzy to fill my freezer with anything that swims.
Many other fishers in the Bamfield area weren't quite so concerned with the hatchery marked requirement. Offshore waters in area 23 are closed to retention of wild Coho. The cleaning table was full of people cleaning wild Coho along with the Halibut they caught offshore. I called some of them on it, but they don't appreciate it too much. Then you start to wonder if your boat might befall some misfortune, if you raise too much of a stink. Or maybe you might not be welcome back next year if the management feels you're alienating their best clientele. So you hope they get caught, and fined plenty.
Many other fishers in the Bamfield area weren't quite so concerned with the hatchery marked requirement. Offshore waters in area 23 are closed to retention of wild Coho. The cleaning table was full of people cleaning wild Coho along with the Halibut they caught offshore. I called some of them on it, but they don't appreciate it too much. Then you start to wonder if your boat might befall some misfortune, if you raise too much of a stink. Or maybe you might not be welcome back next year if the management feels you're alienating their best clientele. So you hope they get caught, and fined plenty.
scott craven
Well-Known Member
hope you didn't have to gnaw off an arm...
that would impact your fishing ability.
Striper Sniper
Well-Known Member
Hmmmmmmm BB, at least you found out!
K
Klink
Guest
Im pretty new to the salmon fishing, We were out at the wall last weekend fishing for springs, and while we were fishing for springs people were pulling in mad amounts of Coho around us, but with a little help from the fishing regs were were able to differentiate between the species, we boated 8 salmon that afternoon and 4 of them were legal springs and 2 small springs and 2 nice Coho, before we went out we all looked at pics of salmon online and agreed that if we couldnt tell without a doubt it was a Chinook it went back in the water, imo its the only way to fish within regulations.
Klink
Klink
Red Monster
Well-Known Member
I once bonked a big salmon (about 16 pounds) thinking it was a spring ...and then I noticed it was missing a fin ...and then I noticed it was a coho ...and then I felt like a real idiot ...but then I was relieved 'cause it was legal to catch. No matter how big it is, I now check one more time before I bonk ...and then I don't make that mistake again. [8D]
With experience you can tell what it is before it goes in the net.
So I ask, are these chum any good to eat when they're still bright? I've yet to catch a bright one so I wouldn't know.
With experience you can tell what it is before it goes in the net.
So I ask, are these chum any good to eat when they're still bright? I've yet to catch a bright one so I wouldn't know.
tyeegalore
Active Member
Hey Red
Fresh silver Chum are good to eat, no doubt about it. I always thought they weren't till a couple yrs ago, when I decided to try one for myself. Till then I had always heard the masses saying they were junk and they wouldn't touch them with a ten ft pole. So I did a blind taste test with 2 of those guys who "hated Chum" and they got it wrong more than 1\2 the time when they tried to tell the difference between a spring and the chum. I smoke them and can't tell it from springs.
Fresh silver Chum are good to eat, no doubt about it. I always thought they weren't till a couple yrs ago, when I decided to try one for myself. Till then I had always heard the masses saying they were junk and they wouldn't touch them with a ten ft pole. So I did a blind taste test with 2 of those guys who "hated Chum" and they got it wrong more than 1\2 the time when they tried to tell the difference between a spring and the chum. I smoke them and can't tell it from springs.
TheBigGuy
Well-Known Member
Hi, Red.
To tell you the truth, I've never kept one for baking or the BBQ. I've only ever smoked chum from the ocean (I've never kept one from the river). I've had some Chum that have turned out rather bland. I can honestly say that with the right Chum when smoked properly it is the best Salmon by far from the smokehouse. The high oil content is what makes them such good smokers. I've found that you want to give the meat more time brining than the other species. You want a higher salt and sugar content to accentuate the flavor of the meat. Takes a little experimentation, but once you get it right the smoked meat is to die for.
To tell you the truth, I've never kept one for baking or the BBQ. I've only ever smoked chum from the ocean (I've never kept one from the river). I've had some Chum that have turned out rather bland. I can honestly say that with the right Chum when smoked properly it is the best Salmon by far from the smokehouse. The high oil content is what makes them such good smokers. I've found that you want to give the meat more time brining than the other species. You want a higher salt and sugar content to accentuate the flavor of the meat. Takes a little experimentation, but once you get it right the smoked meat is to die for.
Tsquared
Well-Known Member
I agree with you that they smoke up very nicely Big guy but it's not because they have a high oil content--in fact it's just the opposite. First Nations tribes used to highly prize these fish because they have a low fat content and therefore did not go rancid as it is the oil in fish that causes rancidity. The toughest time of year for the local tribes prior to European contact was spring time when most of their other smoked salmon had been eaten. It was then they would use their smoked chum.
T2
