Pink Salmon
Onchorhynchus Grobuscha
By Timothy Kusherets
Take a good look at this Pink Salmon. It does sport its spawning colors
but does not have the hump it is known for, so the obvious conclusion is that
it’s a female. All male pink salmon will have the enormous hump associated
with it. This particular female pink was caught while still in the estuarine
environment. This particular species of salmon rarely migrates inland more than
two miles and is most often taken on flies, jigs, and spinners that weigh less
than a sixteenth of an ounce. This native pink salmon was released immediately
after the photograph was taken. Note: another way to distinguish
males from females is the lower maxillary; if it goes past the orbits of the
eyes it's a male, if it does not it's a female.
Pink salmon, also known as "humpies", actually run every year, but
they are broken down into two categories of odd and even years which convince
some fishermen that they only run every other year. Ironically, it is not a
good idea to fish for pinks in rivers; they prefer to mainly spawn in saltwater
near fresh water rather than migrate upstream. The classification of the species
identifies it as the only salmon that prefers to spawn in brackish water. There
are hatcheries that rear pinks but they are few and far between. The disbursement
of the species ranges widely from northern California to Alaska. The odd and
even year fish frequently do not inhabit the same areas and as consequence can
only be found in any given area every other year. They are the smallest species
of Pacific Coast salmon. While they are in saltwater they initially feed on
plankton, as they mature they feed on squid and smaller baitfish. The months
in which they migrate back to the rivers ranges from July to September. Whether
you fish for them in salt or freshwater you are going to want to use small spinners
and flies. Flat, low, and muddy tide flats are where you will find them holding
most of the time. The most productive spinners to use in bays and estuaries
are going to be pink and silver; rooster-tail spinners are excellent for hooking
into them. Slow presentations of spinners will garner incredibly hard strikes
while using line test that ranges between 4 and 6-pound test. Fly-fishermen
will find the waters that pinks inhabit to be ideal for either dry or wet flies.
Pinks will gravitate at various levels throughout the day influenced by pressures
exerted upon them by either fishermen or seals. Carefully approaching holding
areas will keep them on the bite rather than off even when the sun is high overhead;
fishing from a boat will offer them cover they might otherwise not have during
times of high pressure. Remember, fish don’t have eyelids and they will
gravitate to anything that offers them cover from the sun, so don't forget to
make a figure-eight before removing the offering from the water; in many cases
fish will dart out from beneath the boat only to strike just a few feet from
the bow.
Pinks will occasionally migrate upstream, but not far. As they prepare to migrate
upstream they will gravitate very near the surface and that is the best time
to use flies. The size of the hook and the offering should be very small. The
best way to fish them is to fish them downstream from schools close to banks.
Rivers that are glacially fed offer cover that runoff-rivers don’t which
puts pinks at ease making them easier to hook into. The fight capabilities of
the fish belies the size of it. They are very strong fighters on light line
and will make tearing runs in all directions. Pinks are veritable scientists
when it comes to creating enough slack to throw hooks. They will spin like Coho
and race towards fishermen like chum to throw the hook. When fishing for pinks
it is best to use longer fishing rod called a “noodle rod”. The
noodle rod will afford the sensitivity you’ll need for feeling strikes
while allowing you to fight without horsing them in. Noodle rods come in lengths
that range from 10.5 feet to 15 feet long.
© Timothy Kusherets 2004/08
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