Learn To Identify Salmon Species Before Fishing

For most amateur fishermen or ladies one of the toughest parts about salmon fishing is being able to clearly identify which particular kind of salmon that they have caught. Since fishing laws are based on species it is extremely important that you can tell each from the other to stop being in violation of the license and probably facing fines or more serious outcomes. Learning about salmon fishing and varied species is not too hard, and the general outlines provided below should be all that is wanted to spot the salmon species.

The following tips about salmon fishing species identification will apply only to grown up salmon and may not apply to juveniles and smelts.

Chinook - it’s important to bear in mind when speaking about salmon fishing that many species go by different names. The Chinook is also known as the King and blackmouth. It’s the biggest of the Pacific salmon, and is simply identified by the distinct black coloration to the lower gums. They’re olive or brown in coloration on the back with darker black coloration on the sides. They have many little, dark spots on the back.

Coho - AKA Silver salmon, are smaller than the Chinook or King salmon. They have a bluish green color to the skin on the head and back. Depending on the time of year the sides of the Coho might be wine coloured or even a particularly brilliant red. The cover of the gills will be extraordinarily reddish throughout the year.

Chum - one of the less common salmon it is important to understand about salmon fishing this species to achieve success. They will typically not move far inland and will stay close to salt water. Mate is the second biggest of the Pacific salmon species and are simply distinguished by their red to purplish blue color and horizontal bars. They also have a particularly particular and voiced set of teeth.

Sockeye - this salmon is awfully red in color and may sometimes be mistaken for the Coho thanks to the coloration. Sockeye spend up to two years in a fresh water lake before moving out the ocean, and are unique in this aspect. They have any distinct spots and the female is less brilliantly coloured than the male. Male Sockeyes have a noticeable hump on their back just in front of the dorsal fin.

Kokanee - this is the truly land locked salmon, living its complete live cycle in a fresh water lake, never venturing to the salt water. In physical description they are nearly matching the Sockeye, being red in color and males having the dorsal hump.

When learning about salmon fishing and fish identification it is a great idea to bring a salmon identification book and do not forget to practice conservation and return fish to the water whenever limits are reached.

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