Well here goes...

Let's see how the pendulum of public opinion swings on this fish ID mystery. Never actually seen a troll-caught ocean salmon without spots, so when this nekkid spot-free "king" with an electric blue-green back was shaking on the end of my line, I just didn't know what to think. First thing to cross my mind was coho... until I hauled it aboard.

So here's the first hint for you fish ID experts. Mr Blue Back was caught on a transparent red-orange Apex with chrome prism tape. This is what he looked like fresh-caught.

As the life-force was bled out of the critter in the fishbox, I was awestruck by just how blue its back became.

mouth isnt very black... weird.. scales are large, but almost looks like a Sockeye... then again, im never right...

Changed my mind, peduncle says chum and shot of back says chum.

Hard to tell when they are chrome like that.

nice sockeye

Sockeye

The large eye and lack of spots identify it as a sockeye in my mind, ocean bright chums can also be identified by a larger eye than a silver.

Sockeye

Should note that back the 80s the Canadian trollers caught more Chilko sockeye than the nets. Some sockeye stocks bite really well in the salt.

I'll say Chum

sockeye

Hey, he's in Alaska so it's a Red.

fp

Size of the peduncle says chum. Pic of the caudal? Based on that photo there appears to be a considerable fork. But the photo cuts it off. Color says sockeye obviously, but based on what I can see of the tail/wrist, Chum. Trick question without a tail shot. Ocean chums glimmer in the sunshine too! Based on how hard that particular fish pulled you could tell. Big sockeye don't pull like smallish Chums in the salt.

Chum...

Sockeye

Sockeye

Doc

If you have a couple of scales it is easy to tell if it is a sockeye or chum.

I'm sure that the eye doc knows what it is. Sockeye is too easy of an answer, I have to go with the beautiful lowly chum.

Given the size of the eye you're probably right. I remember a commercial seiner telling me that in AK you could pick the chum out by the big eye.

And, the Canadian trollers figured out how to get chum, too.

Sockeye IMO..."blue-back"

Show us a pic of the gill rakers...I'll say Mrs chumski.