fish question

[Fishaholic]

Okay so i have been hearing people talk about blueback. what are they and how  do you catch them? I want in on the action. I hardly ever fish rivers and ocean fish more then anything so  im not sure whats in the rivers at what times of year.   any advive on river fishing.   


thanks
ddjj

[Kola16]

I was told that a blueback is a sea-run cutthroat, but others have said that a blueback is a kokanee, or a beardslee trout 

I presume you are referring to sea-run cutthroat, therefore you catch them like any other cuttie. They are really easy to catch in a small river and in the ocean. I even caught one once while out in my kayak in the sound with the tiniest piece of worm left on my hook while I was rebaiting. The tidbit of worm must have been about 6 inches under the surface 

You will know you caught one because their belly is really white, and their fins are yellow. Good luck 

[PolarBear]

Searuns in salt, kokanee in fresh.

[Button Nubbs]

Since your from Aberdeen I'm assuming your hearing about them on the quinault. They are sockeye salmon. Largest remaining population of wild spawning sockeye. They have a blueish color when returning from the ocean, hence the blueback tag.

[Fishaholic]

Since your from Aberdeen I'm assuming your hearing about them on the quinault. They are sockeye salmon. Largest remaining population of wild spawning sockeye. They have a blueish color when returning from the ocean, hence the blueback tag.

okay cool. how do you catch them?

[Boss .300 winmag]

Tagging

[Button Nubbs]

Since your from Aberdeen I'm assuming your hearing about them on the quinault. They are sockeye salmon. Largest remaining population of wild spawning sockeye. They have a blueish color when returning from the ocean, hence the blueback tag.

okay cool. how do you catch them?

Hire a native guide

[Button Nubbs]

In all seriousness, if I remember correctly most are just an accidental catch, and they run in the summer when not much else is going on in the river.

[plugger]

Gill nets seem to be pretty effective

[Fishaholic]

see im into conservation and  nets are not good in my mind. I heard a guy talking about using cheese cloth with a half of a sand shrimp in it tied on a egg loop and a weight

[Button Nubbs]

You'd be better off fishing steelhead

[3nails]

Since your from Aberdeen I'm assuming your hearing about them on the quinault. They are sockeye salmon. Largest remaining population of wild spawning sockeye. They have a blueish color when returning from the ocean, hence the blueback tag.

The largest in Washington?

[Button Nubbs]

Since your from Aberdeen I'm assuming your hearing about them on the quinault. They are sockeye salmon. Largest remaining population of wild spawning sockeye. They have a blueish color when returning from the ocean, hence the blueback tag.

The largest in Washington?

Sorry lower 48

[3nails]

Wish we had more opportunity for socs in WA. Delicious!

[Bullkllr]

Since your from Aberdeen I'm assuming your hearing about them on the quinault. They are sockeye salmon. Largest remaining population of wild spawning sockeye. They have a blueish color when returning from the ocean, hence the blueback tag.

This is true! But not the complete answer.
 The Quinalt sockeye were (and still are) known as "blueback". But other than incidental catch in the lake and river there really hasn't been a sport fishery for them in, like, ever.

Gray's Harbor area and South Coast old timers used to fish for "Blueback" all the time (and some still do). It was usually on the tidal stretches of the Chehalis, Hump, or Willapa rivers. It was done from a small boat, trolling, usually with a "Hildebrandt" and worms. It was done in Late summer, about late July into September. The fish they caught were called "harvest trout" in Southwest Washington; but near Gray's Harbor searun cutthroat fresh from the salt were your "Blueback".

It is known.

[Jamieb]

When I was a kid I fished for blueback on the the Chehalis with my grandpa every year,mid July until the salmon came in, early Sept. their searun cutthroat  trout.
A worm behind a willow leaf hildabrant, trolled close to shore. I think that fisheries is almost gone now.

[BigGoonTuna]

anything you hear called a "blueback" in the harbor are searun cutts.  the guys pulled off the highway along the west fork of the hoquiam in the summer are usually fishing for them.  a lot of guys like to use chunks of sucker meat.

[grundy53]

I grew up fishing the Willapa which is not too far from Aberdeen. We always called the sea run cuts in the river blue backs. Used to catch a bunch of them when I was a kid.

[plunker01]

Anytime ive heard someone talk about bluebacks they are talking about sockeye and this last year was crazy year for them. We would be bank fishing the columbia for summer steelies and you couldnt keep em off there was so many in the river. They had record numbers going over the dam every day. They sure are tasty little buggers about 5-7 pounds and usually start around 4th of july

[Bullkllr]

Anytime ive heard someone talk about bluebacks they are talking about sockeye and this last year was crazy year for them. We would be bank fishing the columbia for summer steelies and you couldnt keep em off there was so many in the river. They had record numbers going over the dam every day. They sure are tasty little buggers about 5-7 pounds and usually start around 4th of july

That's because the common name for searun cutthroat in sw washington was "harvest trout". But on the harbor and south coast cutthroat were "blueback" (along with sockeye, to make the matter more confusing...)