I got a king yesterday that had a yellow dot just behind his left pectoral fin. It looked like a tatoo or something. was this a natural thing, or is it a mark to track fish. He had an adipose fin.
anybody know?

This topic was hashed out a while back on another board. The people in the know said it was a naturally occuring lipid(fat) deposit. There seems to be a lot of people who think it's man made, not true.

I've caught many different species that were like that. There is nothing wrong with the fish, and I'm pretty sure it is completely natural.

thanks guys. looked like a perfectly healthy fish but he had that one spot. sure looked man made.

Hey D3,
I have caught a few fish with that mark before also, but only around Southworth, never anyplace else. I was told by someone that it is a mark from a hatchery, possibly Gorst creek. did you by chance catch somewhere along the west side or possibly even southworth?

I am not implying that I know for a fact that the yellow tatoo is a hatchery mark, but i have been told that before. Maybe there is a poggie club member that could disspell the possibility of it being a gorst creek marking.

I have caught SRCs,coho and steelhead that had the yellow mark. Both Puget Sound and OP fish.

I have never seen a yellow mark but I do have a question on the meat of a King....I got one the other day that was really pale almost white meat....I usually get pink or red meat so this surprised me.....it tasted ok when I cooked it but I don't know if the fish was healthy or not? Does anybody know? Thanks

I have caught ocean chinook with white meat before I forget what the certain run is called but I am sure that someone does

The Kings going up the Fraser River are known for both red and white meat depending on the subspecies. Where did you catch yours?

i did get him on the westside of the sound.
I have not noticed this mark before on other fish but it really stood out on this fish. if i got a cuttie or a silver i doubt i would even notice it, but it really stood out with the darker skin of the king.

Take a look at Downriggin's fish in the 30-minute fishing trip post. That is a big yellow spot that's hard to miss.

Good point about DR's fish, just went back and looked at it. DR, what is your take on the yellow tatoo?

We caught one last wk. with a yellow mark at Kingston.

Don't know about the yellow mark, but I have caught kings with white meat and we always referred to them as white kings. Personally I do not like the flavor of the meat off the white kings but some people do.

Three Tree Pt....White meat....I wasn't big on the taste but I was also mentally wondering if it was safe to eat which might have effected my judgement on the flavor....Thank you for the input.

Genetic fat mark I am guessing.

Seems all my fish have this mark this year. Doubt it would be a hatchery mark. With a missing adipose, that would mean double work for hatchery workers.

Maybe Salma can help out.

Two words......"Alien abductions". Wonder if they check the pooper as well

It's like wearing a black band of solidarity. The kings are organizing.

White kings: there is also a run in the Skagit.

I'm going to ask a biologist at the hatchery. I think it is a mark to indicate something. I saw Squaxin natives scanning fish heads with a wand (yes, scanning with a wand) and I saw those yellow dots on quite a few fish.
The dots are pretty obvious and I wouldn't confuse them with that naturally occurring yellow they get from something, (Nitrogen?) right around the gillplates (Onchorhyncus-Tsawytcha fungus?).

White Kings are well known. I'd agree thast they taste 'different'. The meat and flavor seem softer to me, from the couple I've eaten.

:rolleyes: