Identifying Salmon Species

[Franko Manini]

With so many fish around, and a great mix of chinook, coho, pink, and sockeye, I am being super cautious with making sure I identify them correctly. Being fairly new at this game, I'm not taking any chances. What are your best tips for distinguishing each of these species from their pescatorial cousins?

Thanks!

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Just picked up a couple of salt water fishing regulation books, and there are
some great pictures of all the salmon contained in them. Get one and keep
it in your tackle box. Lots of new regs in the sports stores lately.

Good luck,.............BB

 

[deepcover]

I printed off a copy of this and had it laminated at the local office supply store.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/pac_salmon_id.pdf

 

[Old Seadog]

The way I distinguish the species is by, it's mouth and tail. The fishing Reg have very good Pic's also that will help you out.

 

[profisher]

The reg books could do a better job IMO. Easiest way in my mind...1st step any sharp prickly teeth along the gums...this is fool proof. Yes..you are dealing with a spring or coho...if no teeth then its a pink, sockeye or chum. Step 2 for those with teeth....black gums or white gums? (the flesh around the base of the teeth) black = spring white = coho. EASY!!! Step 2 for no teeth...oval spots on tail? yes its a pink No you are dealing with a sockeye or a chum and these are the most difficult of the two species for the novice to identify because they are quite similar until you open them up and look at the flesh. Sockeye rarely exceed 10-12 pounds while chum can top 20 pounds. There are other supple differences but IMO for the novice....if sockeye are closed and you have pinned it down to either a sockeye or a chum.....assume its sockeye and let it go....95% of the time it will have been a sockeye anyway.

 

[Seafever]

Next time you catch a Chinook....smell it.

Chinooks have their own particular fragrance.

 

[Franko Manini]

Next time you catch a Chinook....smell it.

Chinooks have their own particular fragrance.

Smell it? Hell... I intend to KISS IT!

 

[Seaspanker]

Thanks for sharing deepcyver ! i also printed a copy for myself and will stay in the boat forever ! quick easy reference on one page ! Good job , it's guys like you willing to help that make this thread awesome .

 

[scott craven]

Next time you catch a Chinook....smell it.

Chinooks have their own particular fragrance.

Yup, like cold,oiled steel

 

[tincan]

That's a great 2-pager there deepcover. Better than the DFO produced one IMO.

I printed off a copy of this and had it laminated at the local office supply store.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/pac_salmon_id.pdf

 

[Big_Shank]

I keep this photo on my phone during the salmon season. I've gotten into the habit of just checking for spots on the tails and pupil size. Pinks and springs have spotted tails. In comparison between overall body size, pinks have larger pupils and springs have tiny pupils. I haven't caught any coho or chum yet this year, and sockeye are dead easy to ID compared to pinks and springs.

 

[Mark Falvai]

French Creek Harbour Store on Vancouver Island has some great laminated cards. I'm sure they mail them anywhere. Really nice people too. email- cameron@frenchcreekstore.ca

 

[Humpbubble]

We were downwind of a recently boated fish the other day and could easily smell that chinook tang.
If you don't know what it is, it's best not to bring it on board. Seen too many "pinks" on the table with missing adipose
Passed a 32' bayliner packed with jiggers and buckets off chatam isl on the weekend. We waved, they looked guilty, waited to watch them "fight" a fish, and buddy refused to bring it out of the water until he thought we were out of sight. So i circled back to see a rather large rock fish make it into the bucket. Milling about and some awkward waves from almost everyone on board, they dropped the dead fish back all smiling and waving.
Dfo notified, for whatever that is worth.
At least we scared them off for a hour or two.

 

[scott craven]

I guess they didn't know thats an RCA

 

[Deewar25]

With so many fish around, and a great mix of chinook, coho, pink, and sockeye, I am being super cautious with making sure I identify them correctly. Being fairly new at this game, I'm not taking any chances. What are your best tips for distinguishing each of these species from their pescatorial cousins?

Thanks!

looks like you are south island - its actually pretty easy this time of year - focus on spots on the tail - if its got them, you can put em in the boat (within min spring size anyway)...no spots...look for adipose...if its still there, throw it back. No need to stress about anything further or sticking your fingers in their mouth! Getting a chum this time of year also unlikely so you are pretty much guaranteed to be throwing back coho or sockeye in that case.

Now by September (or October), if they open up for 1 wild coho, then it gets a little more tricky as there will be the odd chum around, but there shouldn't be any sockeye by then either so you can pretty much keep anything for that first fish. Just need to pay attention for fish #2 and beyond.