Yesterday we caught a few coho that looked exactly like I know coho do. We also caught two larger salmon that I couldn't positively ID. I'm kinda anal about the regs, so if I wasn't sure, I let it go. They were much bigger 10-12 lb, hooked nose, and some spots on the back and tail. They didn't look like the few kings I've caught (this is my second year fishing around here), but I haven't caught enough to be an expert.

Were these just bigger coho, or kings. I know they weren't pinks. I recongnize those slimy, small scale guys. Let me know if there are any resources that help ID salmon. Thanks.

They sound like "hook nose " coho to me! Here is some information that may help you identify what you may have may have caught!

Coho Salmon:

Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch (Walbaum)) also called silver salmon, are found in coastal waters of Alaska from Southeast to Point Hope on the Chukchi Sea and in the Yukon River to the Alaska-Yukon border. Coho are extremely adaptable and occur in nearly all accessible bodies of fresh water-from large transboundary watersheds to small tributaries.

General description: Adults usually weigh 8 to 12 pounds and are 24 to 30 inches long, but individuals weighing 31 pounds have been landed. Adults in salt water or newly arrived in fresh water are bright silver with small black spots on the back and on the upper lobe of the caudal fin. They can be distinguished from chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) by the lack of black spots on the lower lobe of the tail and gray gums; chinook have small black spots on both caudal lobes and they have black gums. Spawning adults of both sexes have dark backs and heads with maroon to reddish sides. The males develop a prominent hooked snout with large teeth called a kype. Juvenile coho salmon have 8 to 12 parr marks evenly distributed above and below the lateral line with the parr marks narrower than the interspaces. The adipose fin is uniformly pigmented. The anal fin has a long leading edge usually tipped with white, and all fins are frequently tinted with orange.

Life history: Coho salmon enter spawning streams from July to November, usually during periods of high runoff. Run timing has evolved to reflect the requirements of specific stocks. In some streams with barrier falls, adults arrive in July when the water is low and the falls are passable. In large rivers, adults must arrive early, as they need several weeks or months to reach headwater spawning grounds. Run timing is also regulated by the water temperature at spawning grounds: where temperatures are low and eggs develop slowly, spawners have evolved early run timing to compensate; conversely, where temperatures are warm, adults are late spawners. Adults hold in pools until they ripen, then move onto spawning grounds; spawning generally occurs at night. The female digs a nest, called a redd, and deposits 2,400 to 4,500 eggs. As the eggs are deposited, they are fertilized with sperm by the male. The eggs develop during the winter, hatch in early spring, and the embryos remain in the gravel utilizing the egg yolk until they emerge in May or June. The emergent fry occupy shallow stream margins, and, as they grow, establish territories which they defend from other salmonids. They live in ponds, lakes, and pools in streams and rivers, usually among submerged woody debris-quiet areas free of current-from which they dart out to seize drifting insects.

During the fall, juvenile coho may travel miles before locating off-channel habitat where they pass the winter free of floods. Some fish leave fresh water in the spring and rear in brackish estuarine ponds and then migrate back into fresh water in the fall. They spend one to three winters in streams and may spend up to five winters in lakes before migrating to the sea as smolt. Time at sea varies. Some males (called jacks) mature and return after only 6 months at sea at a length of about 12 inches, while most fish stay 18 months before returning as full size adults.

Little is known of the ocean migrations of coho salmon. High seas tagging shows that maturing Southeast Alaska coho move northward throughout the spring and appear to concentrate in the central Gulf of Alaska in June. They later disperse towards shore and migrate along the shoreline until they reach their stream of origin.

Commercial fishing: The commercial catch of coho salmon has increased significantly from low catches in the 1960s, reaching 6.25 million fish in 1986. About half of the catch was taken in Southeast Alaska, primarily by the troll fishery.

Sport fishing: The coho salmon is a premier sport fish and is taken in fresh and salt water from July to September. In 1986, anglers throughout Alaska took 201,000 coho salmon. In salt water they are taken by trolling or mooching (drifting) with herring or with flies or lures along shore. In fresh water they hit salmon eggs, flies, spoons, or spinners. Coho are spectacular fighters and the most acrobatic of the Pacific salmon, and on light tackle provide a thrilling and memorable fishing experience.

Or you can get additional information about coho at that will even tell you more!

http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/ops/fm/Salmon/coho.htm


Cowlitzfisherman

Thanks Cowlitzfisherman!

Sounds like I released a couple of nice coho.

You did! Better safe tan sorry.

Coho have what I call "lip stick". Their gums are white with a black lining, sort of like lip stick.

Look at the bottom lip of this coho I caught today and you will see what I mean.

Yay better safe than sorry.It can be reel hard to tell the differance at first.there is not a person on this board that did not scratch his head at one time or another.

I'm with Carl, I go by the gum line. The spots on the tail thing is too hard to tell because unless it is a Sockeye, all of them have some spots on the tail! The gumline will tell you however, if the gumline in white and the mouth is black, Coho. Kings will be black all the way.

Learned this on the Chehalis last year when we were marking Coho as kings because everyone was saying "if it has spots on its tail, it is a king!" Well, when we caught one of each, it was clearly easy to tell by the gumlines. Until we had them side by side, it was hard to tell.

Coho seem to have a grayish gum line, where chinook have a virtually all black gum line. A real hooked nose is often a coho, especially if 10lbs. or more. If it jumps all over the place it might be a coho, but look at the gumline. Also goto the WDFW site and it shows pictures, I think.

It's funny how we all have different favorite methods. For me, I always go by the tail. Cohos never have spots on the lower half of the tail. True on the upper half you can get spots, but not on the lower half. For me that's the quickest way to ID the fish so I can get him back in the water quick if he is to be released.

I used to go by the spots on the tail, but that doesn't always work. We took home an 11 lber this weekend that had spots on the top and bottom of the tail (although, not as many spots as you typically see on a king). This fish had a distinct white gum line, so we knew it was a silver.

Two years ago I caught a 19lb buck silver 10 miles out from Westport. It was hooked nose, lots of color and had as many spots on the bottom lobe of the tail as on the top. We had a tripple going at the time so when my fish hit the deck the fellow that netted it claimed it was a king and quickly bonked it. The skipper turned around from hooking his fish and said it was a silver look at the gums. It was a native so it had to be thrown over board. Made me sick. Never again will I go by spots on the tail.

You guys need to know for sure. Eyeballing the tail is not a good indicator. The most difinative way to tell the difference according to the Oregon Fishing Regulations is to look at the gums BETWEEN THE TEETH. IF the gums are white BETWEEN THE TEETH, then it is a coho (or Silver). If the gums are black all over including BETWEEN THE TEETH, then it is a Chinook (or King). You will learn to id most fish quickly when they are obviously one or the other, but for those too close to call, you should use the BETWEEN THE TEETH method.

Just my $.02

After you see a few you will notice a differance in the spots themselves.chinnok spots are not as round,bigger more oval.

After you catch a few you will know by the way they swim.

And then when you figure out if its a Coho, try and spot the Adipose Fin. That can be real challenge if its a bit choppy.

We really were having a tough time identifying fish prior to netting my last trip to CQ.

The hooked nose is a dead giveaway though!