Chum are about the hardest fighting fish in the Salmon series, IMO. When still fresh they will readily take spinners, spoons and bait, and are world class fighters for most of the battle.

Sure, if you are hooking boots then it does get irritating, but in most cases if you hook a boot it is snagged..once they get nasty they really aren't much for taking lures/bait...and that's a good thing as no one wants them a that point. Those boots are what I call "Upriver Whites"..meat is white, soft and tasteless.

I've caught a few this year that were keepers, nice firm red meat and very tasty when smoked.

This fellow (36" X 19.5") gave me a great battle Sunday afternoon. He hit one of my home-made Colorado spinners like a freight train, then went into an aerial and underwater display of Chum stubbornness. He finally gave in just as the fog got so thick I had to find the take-out via Braille!



When smoked, these fish are better than Coho, IMO. Meat has more oil and does not dry out as bad. I'll be smoking about 75 lbs. of Chum next week and sending it out as Christmas presents to friends around the country.

Mike