A friend emailed me with a question around the posting about counting Chinook redds and if they should be done spawning. No idea here but I have seen different behavior than normal. In the early 90s it was dry and broodstocking we got males but not many females and frankly we were a bit concerned to say the least. Then the Chum came in around the first of November and right with them the Chinook females all at once. Scales set but not colored and mostly a a week or more from spawning. We had to be very careful spawning because when you checked a female it would appear that the eggs had broken loose from the skeins but it would end up with only the back third of the skein or so. They were attached solidly enough that you could not get them free by shaking the skein gently and if you force the issue you get what we called blanks or eggs that would not fertilize.

Scales set indicated that they had been in fresh water for sometime but no color said not a month for sure. Thing is no self respecting Chinook will stay in holding water with Chum males brawling all over it so Chum will move Chinook upriver rapidly. That is why I always watch Chum behavior in dry years as they trigger Coho and Chinook to behave differently than normal.