Why are Alaska Salmon so much more agressive in the river than down here?

Seems that our salmon down here are almost lockjawed when they hit the river vs most Alaska rivers where the salmon are almost as frisky as steelhead.

What are you opinions on this topic?

I think it must be pure numbers, so many fish that they get more competitive.

After guiding in Alaska for a number of summers, and fishing down here my whole life, I have to agree with you. Those fish up there are completely different. I think one reason is like you said--sheer numbers, which means more fish to bite, plus the group mentality that increases aggression. But I also have another theory that may contribute: We have been sport fishing down here for a hundred years of pretty intensive pressure. Over this century, a huge percentage of the aggressive fish (biters) have been taken out of the gene pool. Contrast this to the small percentage and shorter history of hook and line angling in Alaska, and you have a gene pool that still has the aggressive chromosomes in it. Anyway, just a theory, but it seems to make sense.

I think you made a good point. Some times it seems that the hatchery winter steelhead become worse biters every year. Must be because all the biters get caught and the ones that dont make it to the hatchery.

I think many people believe or have believed that steelhead are agressive by nature. But when you get low water years like this last one you really see how many fish just dont give your offering a thought. I remember passing over and seeing up to a dozen fish in any given hole with having first water and not one of these wild steelies would even think about it.

I remember reading an article a few years ago in STS about the North Umqua. They were tagging both wild and hatchery summer and winter steelhead and tracking them through the taggs.

I think is was something like 54% of the summerrun fish hatchery and wild were caught. And with just as much fishing presure only 6% of the winter fish were caught. Out of each four groups I thinked they tagged 100 fish. Pretty interesting article. It made me wonder how many winter steelhead just let my stuff float right by.

Two words for ya,

WILD FISH!!!!!!!

Good answers - more fish, more wild fish, better genetics. Here's another possibility:
Proximity to the feeding grounds.

Many Pacific salmon stocks feed in the nutrient rich Gulf of Alaska. It's well know that the farther the salmon get from the feeding grounds, the less apt they are to feed. In Alaska, the feeding grounds are only a stone's throw away. In the PNW, the feeding grounds are a thousand miles away. By the time they hit the Hoh or the Kalama River (or anywhere near where I'm fishing), they've lost any instinct to feed. Thus they're tougher to catch. In Alaska, they may still have the urge to feed when they enter freshwater.

But this is only speculation. The other answers are probably more accurate.

Those Alaskan fish have seen less gear, both sport and commercial, than the fish down here, too... they are way more green... but the wild fish genetics probably play the major role.

-N.