Rain Will Move Fish

Hello Anglers,
Recent rains, and more scheduled for this week will move chinook upriver. Start searching upper tidewater, or even your favorite bobber holes.
Here's this week's Siuslaw News article...
Identifying Chinook and Coho

Yesterday when I was out on the water, we hooked a very nice fish. It instantly ran off a bunch of line, stayed deep and showed all the signs of being a really nice keeper. We brought it to the net, I scooped it and was just about to bring it in the boat when I looked again – it was a huge coho salmon. I couldn’t believe it because of its size. We gently removed the hook, took a quick picture and sent the fish on its way. Since we caught that coho, and have caught a few smaller chinook (10-12 lbs) that are “coho sized” fish, I thought I’d write about ways to tell these two very similar fish apart.

Coho Salmon Identifying Features
Coho salmon have small spots on the dorsal (top) side of the fish, and have spots on the upper lobe of the tail ONLY. Also, the coho salmon’s gumline is white or light gray. Spawning adults develop a greenish-black head with a dark maroon or brown body. No worries there – you won’t see many fish like that until much later in the fall. Typically coho salmon are much smaller than chinook, but don’t use this as a distinguishing characteristic. Some chinook come back as 3 year-old fish and will be very similar in size to a coho.

Chinook Salmon Identifying Features
Chinook salmon usually have larger, irregular shaped spots on the back, and have spots on BOTH lobes of their tail. Also, chinook salmon have a black gumline (this is where the name “blackmouth” salmon comes from). Most chinook return to freshwater as 4 year-old fish, but may return older and larger. A salmon that is 30 lbs. or more is most definitely a chinook.

Its Not Too Early For Coho In the River
Many anglers (including me) have already caught coho in the river. Even though most of these fish are still out in the ocean, its not too early for them to be caught. Don’t use run timing as a distinguishing characteristic.

If In Doubt, Let It Go
If you have any doubt about the fish you have, let it go. Oregon State Police are watching anglers to make sure they are doing the right things and keeping the right fish. A ticket for keeping the wrong fish and possibly revoking your fishing and hunting privileges is too steep a price to pay.

See you on the water,
Action Jackson

(Please send comments or questions to Action Jackson at 268-6944 or www.actionjacksonfishing.com)