King Salmon

The King Salmon is an extremely important food and commercial fish, and due to its large size and game nature, an important sport fish.

 

HOW TO IDENTIFY A KING SALMON

Its body is typical of the Pacific salmon group (see Salmons, Trouts, and Chars). At sea, it is basically a silvery fish with spotting on the back, upper sides, top of head, and all the fins, including the tail fin. Spawning chinooks are olive brown to purplish or even red and undergo a radical metamorphosis, especially the males which develop a large kype. One way to distinguish the chinook from other species is by its black mouth and gums. The similar looking coho Oncorhynchus kisutch, has a black mouth, but white gums, except in the Great Lakes population where the gums may be gray or black.

 

WHERE TO CATCH KING SALMON

It is a member of the Pacific salmon genus Oncorhynchus and is both largest and least abundant of this group. It is endemic to the Pacific and rarely, the Arctic Ocean as well as the Bering Sea, the Okhotsk Sea, the Sea of Japan, and most of the rivers that flow into these waters; from Hokkaido in northern Japan to the Anadyr River in the former U.S.S.R., and from the Ventura River in southern California to Point Hope, Alaska. Since as early as 1872, it has been introduced into other waters around the world including the Great Lakes, Atlantic and Gulf states of the U.S., some areas of Central and South America, Europe, and the South Pacific. These transplanted populations apparently failed due to an inability to maintain spawning levels, with the exceptions of South Island in New Zealand, and to some degree in the Great Lakes. In Chile, more recent transplants have shown hope of becoming established with some chinook returning to spawn. The following list includes additional details on where to catch this fish:

 

BACKFLOW                                                             BAYS AND ESTUARIES

OVERHANGING TREES AND BUSHES                           MAN-MADE STRUCTURES

RIVERS AND STREAMS                                              SCHOOLS

DROP-OFFS                                                             MERGING CURRENTS

STANDING WAVES                                                   CURRENT EDGES

BAYS                                                                      CHANNEL ENTRANCES

RIPPLES, CURRENTS, SWIRLS AND SPRAYS        OUTSIDES OF BENDS

ROCK AND BOULDER POCKETS                                  DAMS AND FALLS

EDDIES                                                                  SMALL POINTED WAVES

UNDERCUTS

 

HOW TO CATCH KING SALMON

The following are fishing methods used to catch this fish:

 

JIGGING                                                       FLY FISHING

STILL FISHING                                               DRIFT FISHING

TROLLING

 

KING SALMON LURES, TACKLE & BAIT

The following are lures, tackle or bait that can be used to catch this fish:

 

CUT BAIT                                                               PLUGS         

SPOONS                                                                 FRESHWATER LIVE BAIT

SPINNER BAITS