Farmed vs Wild Salmon do you know the difference?

Had farmed salmon two days ago that looked just like the orange one in the picture, tasted really good, but the toxins in the fat is something I was overlooking. Ate some red "sushi grade" wild salmon a couple weeks ago that had been frozen and it was very mushy and bland. Taste of fish is the result of many factors most of which do not show up in the color of the flesh.

Video was very interesting. Farmed seafood has be getting a bad reputation but surely it can be done in a non destructive, sustainable way.

Looking forward to continuing to try and harvest a wild kayak salmon this year and hope it will not have one of these viruses .

I think the viruses had spread down from BC to Northwest stock and if it's not here yet, it's only a matter of time.  I heard that it's not affecting human, so that's a good thing.  The bad news is they are lethal to the local stocks.  I am not scientific by any mean, but I do take certain perspective based on my own catches and some readings ( Salmon Confidential was a good documentary for me).

Until then, my obsession with salmon will consume me from the inside out until season opener, upon which the devil will grow bigger with every fail outing.

When the summer comes around I'll PM you. It's just a matter of trying and getting the hang of it.  Once you understand salmon it gets a lot easier to nail them. It took me two full season before i got in their heads and then the body counts started to roll in. Now sturgeon is a whole other monster.

Had farmed salmon two days ago that looked just like the orange one in the picture, tasted really good, but the toxins in the fat is something I was overlooking. Ate some red "sushi grade" wild salmon a couple weeks ago that had been frozen and it was very mushy and bland. Taste of fish is the result of many factors most of which do not show up in the color of the flesh.

Video was very interesting. Farmed seafood has be getting a bad reputation but surely it can be done in a non destructive, sustainable way.

Looking forward to continuing to try and harvest a wild kayak salmon this year and hope it will not have one of these viruses .

I think the viruses had spread down from BC to Northwest stock and if it's not here yet, it's only a matter of time.  I heard that it's not affecting human, so that's a good thing.  The bad news is they are lethal to the local stocks.  I am not scientific by any mean, but I do take certain perspective based on my own catches and some readings ( Salmon Confidential was a good documentary for me).

Until then, my obsession with salmon will consume me from the inside out until season opener, upon which the devil will grow bigger with every fail outing.

When the summer comes around I'll PM you. It's just a matter of trying and getting the hang of it.  Once you understand salmon it gets a lot easier to nail them. It took me two full season before i got in their heads and then the body counts started to roll in. Now sturgeon is a whole other monster.

Can't wait.  I've had some success, but the rate is way too poor.  On a big party boat, my record was only one skunk in four years, can't figure it out how to replicate this (other than the obvious multiple baits/rods in the water).  I am going to try out the method from your mooching tips this coming season

nice article 

is it RF/Salmon/Halibut season open yet....open open open lol

Had farmed salmon two days ago that looked just like the orange one in the picture, tasted really good, but the toxins in the fat is something I was overlooking. Ate some red "sushi grade" wild salmon a couple weeks ago that had been frozen and it was very mushy and bland. Taste of fish is the result of many factors most of which do not show up in the color of the flesh.

Video was very interesting. Farmed seafood has be getting a bad reputation but surely it can be done in a non destructive, sustainable way.

Looking forward to continuing to try and harvest a wild kayak salmon this year and hope it will not have one of these viruses .

I think the viruses had spread down from BC to Northwest stock and if it's not here yet, it's only a matter of time.  I heard that it's not affecting human, so that's a good thing.  The bad news is they are lethal to the local stocks.  I am not scientific by any mean, but I do take certain perspective based on my own catches and some readings ( Salmon Confidential was a good documentary for me).

Until then, my obsession with salmon will consume me from the inside out until season opener, upon which the devil will grow bigger with every fail outing.

When the summer comes around I'll PM you. It's just a matter of trying and getting the hang of it.  Once you understand salmon it gets a lot easier to nail them. It took me two full season before i got in their heads and then the body counts started to roll in. Now sturgeon is a whole other monster.

Hey hey ... you cannot let me sit sideline. I need PM too. 

Had farmed salmon two days ago that looked just like the orange one in the picture, tasted really good, but the toxins in the fat is something I was overlooking. Ate some red "sushi grade" wild salmon a couple weeks ago that had been frozen and it was very mushy and bland. Taste of fish is the result of many factors most of which do not show up in the color of the flesh.

Video was very interesting. Farmed seafood has be getting a bad reputation but surely it can be done in a non destructive, sustainable way.

Looking forward to continuing to try and harvest a wild kayak salmon this year and hope it will not have one of these viruses .

I think the viruses had spread down from BC to Northwest stock and if it's not here yet, it's only a matter of time.  I heard that it's not affecting human, so that's a good thing.  The bad news is they are lethal to the local stocks.  I am not scientific by any mean, but I do take certain perspective based on my own catches and some readings ( Salmon Confidential was a good documentary for me).

Until then, my obsession with salmon will consume me from the inside out until season opener, upon which the devil will grow bigger with every fail outing.

When the summer comes around I'll PM you. It's just a matter of trying and getting the hang of it.  Once you understand salmon it gets a lot easier to nail them. It took me two full season before i got in their heads and then the body counts started to roll in. Now sturgeon is a whole other monster.

Hey hey ... you cannot let me sit sideline. I need PM too. 

You know i got you. I'll set up the hook up and BBQ.  I'll probably set up a few weekend trips up and down the coast.
I'll keep you guys posted.

Salmon can develop that prized "red flesh" not only from eating krill, but also any other crustaceans such as larval Dungeness crab.  Crustaceans have a carotenoid pigment in them called astaxanthin, and salmon (actually all salmonids) will store the excess pigment in their muscle tissue.  The stored pigment gives the flesh the red color.

Just wanted to mention that because the term "krill salmon" is kinda misleading, as it infers that any salmon with red flesh must've been eating krill, which isn't necessarily true.

Salmon can develop that prized "red flesh" not only from eating krill, but also any other crustaceans such as larval Dungeness crab.  Crustaceans have a carotenoid pigment in them called astaxanthin, and salmon (actually all salmonids) will store the excess pigment in their muscle tissue.  The stored pigment gives the flesh the red color.

Just wanted to mention that because the term "krill salmon" is kinda misleading, as it infers that any salmon with red flesh must've been eating krill, which isn't necessarily true.

Thanks for sharing, good education!  Is there a certain area in Nor Cal where crustaceans are more prominent as dietary food for salmon?

Salmon can develop that prized "red flesh" not only from eating krill, but also any other crustaceans such as larval Dungeness crab.  Crustaceans have a carotenoid pigment in them called astaxanthin, and salmon (actually all salmonids) will store the excess pigment in their muscle tissue.  The stored pigment gives the flesh the red color.

Just wanted to mention that because the term "krill salmon" is kinda misleading, as it infers that any salmon with red flesh must've been eating krill, which isn't necessarily true.

Thanks for sharing, good education!  Is there a certain area in Nor Cal where crustaceans are more prominent as dietary food for salmon?

No problem, most of my work is centered around salmon so I'm required to know these sorts of things  .  Most salmon species are opportunistic, voracious predators that will eat whatever is available at a given time.  They're very short-lived species compared to other fishes of comparable size, so they want to eat-eat-eat while in the ocean to fuel their fast growth before heading to the rivers.  So if the salmon are around and there's a big run of sardines, they're going to eat the sardines.  Similarly, if there's a huge cloud of krill nearby, they're going to eat the krill.

Juvenile/pelagic stages of Dungeness typically occur in late spring/early summer.  Krill numbers are going to vary according to how much phytoplankton is available, which tends to have a positive relationship with deepwater upwelling.  No upwelling = little phytoplankton = less abundant krill.  I don't know of any particular "hot spots" for krill in NorCal, but chances are good that wherever you happen to have a lot of deepwater upwelling occurring and blooms of phytoplankton, you're setting the stage for abundant krill.

what ,nobody likes  DSM SalmoFan pigment in their farmed raised Salmon 

Salmon can develop that prized "red flesh" not only from eating krill, but also any other crustaceans such as larval Dungeness crab.  Crustaceans have a carotenoid pigment in them called astaxanthin, and salmon (actually all salmonids) will store the excess pigment in their muscle tissue.  The stored pigment gives the flesh the red color.

Just wanted to mention that because the term "krill salmon" is kinda misleading, as it infers that any salmon with red flesh must've been eating krill, which isn't necessarily true.

Thanks for sharing, good education!  Is there a certain area in Nor Cal where crustaceans are more prominent as dietary food for salmon?

No problem, most of my work is centered around salmon so I'm required to know these sorts of things  .  Most salmon species are opportunistic, voracious predators that will eat whatever is available at a given time.  They're very short-lived species compared to other fishes of comparable size, so they want to eat-eat-eat while in the ocean to fuel their fast growth before heading to the rivers.  So if the salmon are around and there's a big run of sardines, they're going to eat the sardines.  Similarly, if there's a huge cloud of krill nearby, they're going to eat the krill.

Juvenile/pelagic stages of Dungeness typically occur in late spring/early summer.  Krill numbers are going to vary according to how much phytoplankton is available, which tends to have a positive relationship with deepwater upwelling.  No upwelling = little phytoplankton = less abundant krill.  I don't know of any particular "hot spots" for krill in NorCal, but chances are good that wherever you happen to have a lot of deepwater upwelling occurring and blooms of phytoplankton, you're setting the stage for abundant krill.

Hotspots?  Salmon fishing out of Humboldt bay is by far the most consistent fishing.  Book a trip on the Sea Weasel with Gary Blasi, the Reel Steel, or Fishy Business and you are almost certain to go home with a limit.  With the Eel river canyon, Mendocino canyon, and Gorda canyon, the area around Hum oldt bay has lots of upwelling.

Clayman, if you ever watch Salmon Confidential, could you comment?  Keith has the You Tube URL on his page,
http://thelostanchovy.com/farmed-vs-wild-salmon-know-difference/

Actually, no comment is necessary.

I wish Humboldt Bay is closer to me 

... so they want to eat-eat-eat while in the ocean ...

Except when I'm fishing for them.

Plan on the fall run in tillamok OR. It's a hot spot

Plan on the fall run in tillamok OR. It's a hot spot

I want to check out the springer run up there too.  A fresh springer (one that I can actually keep) is on my list for this year!

Plan on the fall run in tillamok OR. It's a hot spot

Gotta add that to my bucket list of things to do.