Smalma,

Did I correctly understand what you said; "The thing that made the Elwha chinook so large was the habitat that they used. Since once they get beyond the dam sites it still is intact selective pressure from the habitat should led to larger fish."?

You lost me on that one, or am I taking what you said out of text? Or are you talking about the "ocean" habitat? If not, can you explain to me how "rearing habitat" could make such a giant chinook, like those that used to be found in the Elwha? Fall Chinook typically leave their rearing habitat in the first year, don't they? Even if they left their rearing habitat in the second year, like Springer's do, how would that contribute to such a huge returning adult chinook?

I know that almost every year a few dead chinook in the 80-100lb class are usually found dead in the upper Columbia. So what would make those fish grow to such a size? I always thought that the final size of a returning adult salmon was basically accomplished by two factors; (1) It's Genetics and (2) available abundance of food in the ocean. Is their more?

The "habitat" one is a new one to me! If I did not take what you said out of text, can you tell us about it, and how it work?

Cowlitzfisherman
Is the taste of the bait worth the sting of the hook????