Silver vs King

Color picture comparison from Coastside.  

It looks very obvious in the photo, but I've caught some Chinooks that had a few light spots on the gums.  Also, I've caught Coho's with few black spots mixed in with the light gray band.  Nature's not perfect, but you can usually tell the difference between the two.

It looks like the coho has a shorter "nose" as well.

It looks like the coho has a shorter "nose" as well.

Yes, the chinook nose tends to more of a point than the coho; also the black spots on the back of a coho tend to be small and regular in shape, while a king's spots are larger and irregular in shape. In the photo comparison you can also see that the king's base color on the back has a greenish tint to it, which is common. Deal with enough of these buggers and you'll ID them almost instantly. Until then the gumline ID is the safest bet, especially if that is how the state is telling you to ID them.

Here in WA, we have to be able to ID pinks (humpies), chum (dogs, for the teeth they develop before spawn), and sockeyes. Such a terrible chore!

Here's another one from DFG.

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=499#499

I guess growing up fishing in WA I always took this for granted.  I never really had to check the gums; I could tell at first glance.  Kings have spots on upper and lower tail lobes.  Silvers have very few spots on tail and always on upper lobe only.  Pinks have lots of large oval shaped spots on tail and very small scales.  Chum have no spots on tail and you can see the tell tale chum pattern on their sides even in salt water, however these were relatively rare when I was a kid.  It seems like there are a lot more of them these days.  Sockeye?  Hmmm ... I don't think I know.  I've never caught one in the salt (that I know of) and have only caught them in Lake Washington while specifically targeting them.  How'd I do Pisco?

-Allen

Polepole-  to the head of the class!

I hadn't noticed the spot-patterns on the tails. I'll bet +95% of the salmon I've caught in the salt have been kings or cohos. A few incidental pinks and chums. I don't know that I've ever picked up a sockeye in the salt, either. I'm sure that would be  possible though, if there were an open season in the right places. Beach fisheries  for chums in Hood Canal and the South Sound have gotten quite popular, the last few years.

BTW, when are you going to be in this neck of the woods? I'm planning a trip out to Neah Bay in May, for a Canadian halibut trip. (The limit in BC waters is 2 a day, 1 in WA.) I'm going to scout out some launch sites on the outer coast while I'm there. I've been working on my boat after the kids go to bed, and hopefully I'll have my wherry complete enough that I can take it, too.

Pisco,

I'm here already.  Up in Seattle at least 50% of my time these days.  No kayaks up here yet ... still working on that part.

-Allen