quote:
Originally posted by Charlie
quote:Originally posted by fishin_magician
Ah, good question about Sockeye!
I will never argue two things,
<center>
“match the hatch”
&
“presentation, presentation, presentation”</center>
I need to advise I do not target Sockeye! I have only been Sockeye fishing once in my life on Lake Washington; however, I did catch my limit! I have caught a few Sockeye, but never while targeting other salmon using anchovies or herring!
To answer your questions, I have to do a little homework on Sockeye!
quote:
Estuarine and Ocean Life History
The freshwater/saltwater transition zone provided by estuary habitat can be important to the success of sockeye smolts. A natural, productive estuary provides the food resources necessary for the smolts to transit the area, and can offer refuges from numerous fish and bird predator species. In the near shore and open ocean environments, predation by fish, birds, and marine mammals, and competition for food resources with other fish species affects growth and survival of sockeye salmon. Most of the estuaries in Washington have been altered by changes including channelization, dredging, diking, filling of wetlands and tidal areas, and degraded water quality. This alteration and/or loss of estuarine habitat by factors such as urbanization, agriculture, forest land management, and industrial and water resource development has been extensive. These habitat modifications tend to reduce the overall amount of habitat, and reduces the general productivity of estuaries (and food production), which limits overall utility of these areas for sockeye rearing.
Ocean growth and survival of all species of Pacific salmon can be affected by periodic warm water events (El Niño) in local waters, and by cyclic changes in ocean conditions in the North Pacific Ocean. Returning sockeye will have spent 2-4 years at sea upon returning to their natal spawning grounds, with the majority returning in June and July as 4-year-old fish at an average weight of about 5 pounds.
As salmon migrate through the cool, pristine waters of the west coast, they receive nourishment from their natural surroundings. During their time in the ocean, sockeye, pink, and chum salmon feed primarily on plankton and crustaceans such as tiny shrimp, while Chinook and Coho salmon eat smaller fish.
Sockeye juveniles overwinter in coastal watersheds and remain in lakes 1-3 years, migrating from streams in the spring; a few go directly to sea. Their primary diet is Plankton, krill, and small crustaceans.”
quote:
“Krill are actually small shrimp, but capable of purposeful swimming. Plankton, by definition, is all the little things in the water, some plants, and some animals that are not capable of purposeful swimming. That is, even if they swim a little, it is not enough to move them significantly from place to place relative to ocean currents. Larval krill would be part of the plank tonic community, as would the larvae of many marine creatures. However, adult krill are not plankton. Crustaceans? They include various familiar animals, such as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrim, krill, and barnacles.
So, their natural food, plankton, krill, and shrimp, NOT other baitfish; explains why I have never caught one on plug cut or anchovy! The predominate color of Krill and Crustaceans= RED?
#1
quote
lease explain why SOCKEYE are so responsive to RED?
It appears their natural food is red. That would more than explain it. Remember, if you but a red lure and a grey lure in the water at 60 feet you will find there is a difference NOT in the color, but in the contrast! So, one needs to best, “Match the hatch!” Since Krill and shrimp are small little creatures, I would think a very small red hootchie or even a small trout “diamond ring” would produce. Possibly even red salmon egg? And I would use a red flasher, might switch that from an 11” to an 8” flasher?
#2
quote:In effect then, we should be able to put down "grey" squirts and other colours where the "appearance of colour" has long since filtered out and still catch sockeye or our selected species of fish?
That is possible, with the correct presentation, but again, even though they “might” appear the same color to us, they will put out a different contrast to the fish and that gets back to both “match the hatch” and “presentation”!
Please remember I am not a sockeye fisherman!
#3
quote: Also, I can think of many fishing experiences where a particular color combo is the only producer at that time.
Absolutely! The colors might fade at different depths, but that is depending on water clarity, light, etc! To blanket say fish cannot see the contrast a particular color is putting out at a specific depth is asinine and it does make a big difference. Again, notice I said ‘contrast’ they might not see the color, but they will for sure see the contrast that particular color is putting out. And, that could make all the difference in the world and does affect your presentation.
