Big Skagit king

[Dhoey07]

Looks like Chelan has some too

http://www.bdoutdoors.com/forums/threads/chinook-in-chelan.140156/

[BOWHUNTER45]

This thread has me    LAUGHING mao ! Days of dreaming of trying to catch a king this size in the Skagit are gone  before long all the fisheries concerning the Skagit will be gone . And if that were a whiteman standing there bragging about his trophy king he caught in the Skagit that pretty Red Truck would be on a trailer headed to the state for auction  Everyday I look at the Skagit thinking of all the goods times we had fishing and watching it disappear before my eyes puts my stomach in a knot !! This state is becoming worse than California !

[singleshot12]

:Yeah that: ain't that the depressing truth

[buckcanyonlodge]

If i remember right, back in 92 or 93, it was reported that Bonniville had a fish go thru,  that they estimated to be in the 90 to 100 pound range. Vernita was a big deal back then, with very big fish, but not that big. People estimated maybe 10 to 14 days for the fish to Vernita. It was a zoo of people at Vernita trying to get this unconfirmed fish, i was one of them.

I was down there then also. I did catch a big buck that was 54 inches long..  What a fight  ..what a fish...Never weighed it.

[_TONY_]

Those big wild genetics are gone and gone forever in all the rivers I can think of.

The Skeena still produces Kings to 80ish, and Im sure there are a few bigger ones in the mix.

Whats funny is the little Kispiox still produces many in the 50 ish class in June. Coarse Ive seen 40 pound Steelies there so it dosent surprise me.

Indeed it does.When was the last time you fished the Kispiox, or Skeena? I try and fish it every year... Well exept this year of coarse still haven't laid eyes on any 40's up there yet, but seen and hooked and lost a couple that we think were close.

[JimmyHoffa]

Some of the largest salmon used to come from the Elwa system many years ago. They are hoping to revive this fishery but have not heard how the dam removal strategy is going.

The dam is gone and the river is free flowing... I doubt that those 100+ pound genetics are still swimming around in the Elwa like they used to.

looked like chocolate flowing down the last couple days.  They just got a grant for the tribe to do some restoration work on Little River.  But the big kings don't live in that stretch.  The big ones go up in the park and have to be of a bigger size to get through Goblin Gates.  I'd imagine that after a few generations there will be enough fish are big enough to get through the canyon that they'll spawn with each other enough to bring out the real big fish genes again.
Also, this summer with all the sediment making a new beach last couple years, the smelt showed up (thought to be virtually extinct) and they have had a big bounce back, huge schools at the mouth most summer/fall.

[Remnar]

Another hard part about big fish keeping them alive in the ocean for 5 or 6 years without getting netted, troll caught, or sport caught in Alaska and BC.  That's a long time to survive all the fishing pressure.

For sure. And these gigantic Kings go 8 years in the ocean even.

8 years wow!

I would some day like to see triploid kings. Could you imagine? But then again they too would subccumb to the ocean nets before reaching their 200+ lb. potential.

I dont think a triploid would be a good idea unless they were in a closed system i.e a lake . Other wise most of them would just hang out in the ocean and eat competing with other fish until they died . And they would eat ALOT !

[singleshot12]

Another hard part about big fish keeping them alive in the ocean for 5 or 6 years without getting netted, troll caught, or sport caught in Alaska and BC.  That's a long time to survive all the fishing pressure.

For sure. And these gigantic Kings go 8 years in the ocean even.

8 years wow!

I would some day like to see triploid kings. Could you imagine? But then again they too would subccumb to the ocean nets before reaching their 200+ lb. potential.

I dont think a triploid would be a good idea unless they were in a closed system i.e a lake . Other wise most of them would just hang out in the ocean and eat competing with other fish until they died . And they would eat ALOT !

Maybe not,unless they could come up with ones which stayed resident in the sound. Either way I don't think a few released would hurt anything. It would sure create a much needed unique fishing opportunity

[jeepster]

.......how did my picture end up on the web?   


Yeah, thank the indians for those fish never returning, what a great buncha conservationists they are

[huntnphool]

Those big wild genetics are gone and gone forever in all the rivers I can think of.

The Skeena still produces Kings to 80ish, and Im sure there are a few bigger ones in the mix.

Whats funny is the little Kispiox still produces many in the 50 ish class in June. Coarse Ive seen 40 pound Steelies there so it dosent surprise me.

 Kispiox has good steelhead genes as well. http://www.fishwithjd.com/2014/11/21/10-mind-blowing-giant-steelhead/
My buddy George Rose is in this group as well.

[JJB11B]

There are no salmon in the columbia, that is a myth

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

There are no salmon in the columbia, that is a myth

That is the truth right there! The only salmon left are in the Snohomish system...