Fishing King or Chinook Salmon

Largest of the Pacific Salmon: Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha

Jan 7, 2008 Alan Sorum

The largest of all the Pacific species, King or Chinook salmon are excellent fare and offer a remarkable experience for all types of anglers.

King salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) are the largest of the five Pacific salmon species. They are known by many names depending on regional influences, King, Chinook, Blackmouth, Spring and Tyee are common labels. King salmon are by far the rarest and most solitary of its other Pacific cousins. Catching a King salmon remains a lifelong achievement for many anglers.

Description and Life History - Kings regularly reach 14 kilograms (30 pounds) in weight and 114 centimeters (45 inches) in length. The average weight is closer to 9 kilograms (20 pounds). The world record King weighed 44.11 kilograms (97.25 pounds) and was caught on Alaska's Kenai River in 1985. Commercial fishermen have taken fish over 45 kilograms (100 pounds) in the past. King salmon fry spend about two years in the fresh water rivers where they were born. As older smolts, they migrate out to sea and can remain there for up to five years. As the largest Pacific salmon, they also have the largest range of salmon in the Pacific Ocean. Historically Kings could be found in an area bounded by Japan, the Russian Far East, Kotzebue Sound, Alaska and central California. Modern development has pushed viable populations of Kings back to Canada and Alaska. Many runs in the Northwestern United State are listed as threatened or endangered.

Fishing Methods and Gear - Fishing for Kings is can either be a saltwater intercept fishery common in Southeast Alaska or British Columbia or in major freshwater rivers and their tributaries.

Freshwater - Kings are caught by drifting bobber rigs downriver, back trolling swiftly moving rivers, back bouncing off a skiff, and shore casting. Anglers are allowed to use bait in some areas. Hooks are in the 3/0 to 7/0 range and should be sharp. Successful fishermen will need a very large landing net
Saltwater - Trolling is important technique for catching saltwater Kings. Since the fish often prefer deeper water, the use of downriggers and fish finders is popular with trollers. Other saltwater fishing methods include mooching, motor mooching, jigging, and casting. Most trollers use a medium-duty trolling or downrigger rod that is 213 to 274 centimeters (7 to 9 feet) in length with a level wind reel that can handle 228 meters (250 yards) of 11.3 kilogram (25 pound) test line. Rods used with downriggers can be somewhat lighter since the weight of sinkers and flashers is eliminated.

One of the best ways to learn about King salmon fishing is take a commercial charter or tag along with an experienced friend. The fishing is addictive, once you have landed a large King, you'll start looking for the next one. Sport fishers catch around 200,000 King salmon a year in Alaska and the population is managed to ensure the harvest remains abundant for the future. Salmon fishing is one of the best reasons to own a boat.

The copyright of the article Fishing King or Chinook Salmon in Boating & Sailing is owned by Alan Sorum. Permission to republish Fishing King or Chinook Salmon in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.