Salmon
Fishing
Salmon
Fishing
First and foremost among salmon fishing trophies is, of course, the chinook. Chinook are the largest of the Pacific salmon, occasionally growing to over 100 pounds, which is part of the reason for their nickname, king salmon. They are also commonly referred to as "blackmouth," because of that black gum line that anglers use to help identify them.
Although the biggest saltwater kings are caught in summer and early fall when mature salmon move toward freshwater spawning grounds, Washington offers saltwater chinook fishing all year long. Productive saltwater fishing techniques for chinook include trolling or mooching (drifting) with herring, jigging with any of several baitfish-imitating metal jigs, or trolling with plugs, spoons, plastic squid or other artificial. Fishing near bottom is often the key to success.
Besides the well known saltwater chinook fisheries that exist on the coast, in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the San Juan Islands and Puget Sound, chinook also provide some great freshwater angling action. Spring-chinook fisheries in the Cowlitz, Lewis and other Washington rivers are very popular with anglers. Freshwater chinook-fishing techniques are similar to those used for steelhead, except most anglers prefer heavier tackle for these bruisers.
Although
uncommon, "resident" chinook may be found in some lake systems that support
runs of the anadromous form. Examples are lakes Sammamish and Washington,
where resident chinook 12-15 inches long make up a small percentage of
the catch. Inland fish managers are also experimenting with chinook as
predators on stunted perch or other over-abundant species in some lakes.
Chinook are also sometimes planted in landlocked lakes to provide a freshwater
fishery.
Fresh from the ocean, it's easy to understand why the coho's most common nickname is "silver" salmon. Hatcheries produce millions of coho each year to supplement wild coho runs, which have succumbed to a wide range of habitat loss on many of the state's river systems.
The same baits, lures and techniques that take chinook will also take coho from Washington's marine waters, but remember that these fish are usually found near the surface, in about the top 30 feet of water. Like chinook, coho are also a favorite of freshwater anglers when the adult salmon return to their home streams to spawn. Flashy spinners, wobbling spoons, diving plugs and a well-fished cluster of fresh roe will take them when they hit fresh water.
Several
of our lakes, including Riffe Lake and Merwin Reservoir in Western Washington,
are stocked with landlocked coho salmon. Like kokanee, these fish are sometimes
incorrectly called "silver trout." They grow to 20 inches or so
and
provide excellent sport and table fare.
Sockeye
(Red) Salmon
Sockeye are considered by many to be the best-eating of all salmon, but anglers catch relatively few of them on hook-and-line. The state's most notable sport fishery on sockeyes occurs in Lake Wenatchee and some years in Lake Washington. A fishery on Fraser River stocks is growing in the San Juan Islands.
Sea
run sockeye have dark blue backs with few spots and bright silver sides.
When they enter fresh water after a typical 2 years at sea, both males
and females develop bright red bodies and green heads. The males' bodies
become laterally
compressed,
a hump grows behind the head, the jaws become hooked, and sharp canine
teeth appear.
Sockeye fry, after emerging from the gravel, migrate to freshwater lakes, where they spend 1 to 2 years before heading out to sea. Some populations, called kokanee, spend their entire lives in freshwater lakes.
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