Size of Salmon this year

Just an observation.

I've been making my annual treks to some various rivers I've fished for 30+ years. I've been impressed in recent weeks to see the size of the Coho & Kings. After our down years in #'s & size it's been great to see Fat Coho. My wife caught a 15lb hatchery Coho buck. Like some of the other fish I've seen it wasn't long but had great girth. Also for the 1st time in years I saw 3 legitimate 30+ lb kings in a 2 day span. I hadn't seen that in years. I've read that the ocean conditions were on the up swing to support our fish. I just hope it continues.

I second that. Have caught lots of nice hatchery coho upwards of 10lbs. Can't wait to see how big the B runs are!

My summer saltwater season was the best ever. I caught fewer Chinook, but every single one was a biggun, 15#-22#... way better than years past... Coho were average. Only river trip was on the Queets two weeks ago and they were all standard.

Columbia coho were extra fatty this year... sign of a good ocean with lipid rich copepods fueling the food chain from the bottom up.

I can't believe I gave that entire PRIMO coho away.... lucky office gals.

Definitely larger and more plentiful than the last several years! Really nice robust fish this year. Wonder if theyll open the snohomish and sky next season. Its been 3 years of near zero bag limits now regardless of the fact that there appears to be more fish than ive seen in more years.

Depends on the species and age composition. This year's coho tell us next to nothing about next year's, as they are primarily a single age class for adults.

IF the Chinook run is has an abundance of age-3, then that bodes well for next year's age-4. If the abundance is age-4, maybe a few more age-5. If there is an abundance of age-5, it's not gonna help next year.

Probably not Danny unless they forecast more the 50K wild coho.
If I remember correctly this years forecast was something like 39K.
SF

https://snohomishcountywa.gov/DocumentCe...rends_ReportPDF

"The Snohomish Basin is crucial habitat for
coho salmon in Puget Sound—it is estimated
that 25% to 50% of all of Puget Sound’s coho
salmon originate here. Coho salmon have been
declining over the past decades, and the two
lowest coho salmon returns on record were in
2015 and 2017. With the low return in 2017,
the 3-year geometric mean fell below 31,000,
the critical management threshold. Snohomish
coho salmon are now in “overfished” status
and a rebuilding plan is being developed
to bring the stock back to “normal” status
(50,000). In addition, fisheries are planned more
conservatively to limit exploitation of overfished
stocks."

Until we are out of "overfished" status for 5 consecutive years I would not expect much of a meaninful fishery in that system.

Dang, I heard that it was going to be a three-year process in which this year was the last year.

I think it was two seasons ago when they shut the Snohomish down early when everyone was catching tons of fish and the Run seem to be as good as I have ever seen it.

The more I see the season setting processes, the more I believe there is corruption behind the scenes.

Last year if you looked at any one of the deep holes on the lower skykomish, it was boiling with fish just unbelievable!

Regarding the Snohomish system. At the 2019 NOF meeting in Mill Creek they let us know that the feds/NOAA had told WDFW that they needed to get more Native Coho to the spawning grounds or the/feds would look at listing them. Since that is the last thing we want WDFW decided to go with the conservative route. At the 2020 meeting they had lower projections then 2019, so they shut it down. This obviously had nothing to do with the hatchery fish.

No reason to punish sportfisherman for commercial fisherman’s loss I mean economic gain. Those Coho never had a problem till the Chum collapse which more than likely took it’s fair share of Coho. Great fishery before the chinese wanted the eggs.

They must get their counts during blow outs... the last 3 years has been sick with fish but dont ask those with their eyes on the river. Eyes that have observed the rivers highs and lows for decades...

Yes it's interesting, I saw the same thing in Puget Sound. Fewer kings but a much greater proportion of larger hi-teeners. Very few 10 lb cookie cutters. If that observation holds (a 3 yr old run class which usually makes up the majority of the run, but was MIA this year), next year may be a small-fish year without many 4 yr olds.

Can't speak to the coho's, haven't gotten my meathooks on enough of them (yet),

fb

They were a few years late in shutting down the sportfishing as 2015-2016 plain sucked but the last few years were way better. Oh well, maybe they’ll decide to do a wide open, burn it to the ground method of escapement when/if it opens again.

Well my take is based on the "Coho jacks", I caught this year. I've fished jacks in the Chehalis River for about 50 years.

In general many of the Coho jacks were "bigger and heavier" than those from many years in the past.

Many of the Coho jacks were in the 17" - 19" class, I also caught a few in the 21" - 22" class.......were these BIG jacks or small Coho????? I have no answer here BUT based on my observation, there could be some BIG Coho in the 2021 Chehalis Coho returns.

Could be a fun fishery.....small bait of eggs, 13' rod, fast water....Coho in 14+ pound class........could be some "ass whipping in the future"

Are you sure they were jacks? At Minter, some years back, there was a bunch of small jack-sized coho that the cwt's showed to be adults.

With out posting a photo, yes the jacks were just plain fat and the numbers were well past what I was used to seeing. Hey I will text you a pic!

But unless one looks at scales or tags all it is is a very pretty, fat, small coho. Probably a jack but the have been years when we (WDFW hatcheries, at least) know that there were lots of adult coho that met the size criteria for jacks.

Yup we call those dinks and I am sure some were around as always but most jacks this year were not clipped. In fact most of the Coho and Chinook I came into contact with were really fat! No idea what is going on out on the range but something sure changed.

The ocean has really changed. Generally for the worse. I'd say wait until next year and see what the pinks have done to the pasture. Up in AK they have really hammered the food. There is so much going on out there, so many balls in the air (or water) that teasing out and answer is hard. If we're even looking.

I'd have to agree about this year's silvers being fat. Both football shaped and nice layers of fat in the meat. Hasn't always been the case. (Mostly salt area 9/10 fish for me)

Don’t worry the nets will figure it out.

A few have managed to beat the odds...

Fish of the season.... Orygun 60

First runner-up...

Second runner-up

Third runner-up...

Coho of the season....

First runner-up....

Second runner-up...

Honorable mention...

Dang I miss your fish pics - thanks for taking the time to post 'em!!

Almost turns this back into a fishing site...

Good thing that fish topped the scales at 29 pounds! Would have been a shame to have let that go.