# What is this fish?



## Fishbone (Oct 10, 2008)

:chillin:
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Posted via Mobile Device_


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## DoubleJay (Aug 9, 2009)

limpinglogan said:


> Why would a jack King be in the river right now? Don't they go to the lake and stay for 3-4 years.
> 
> I took one other picture but it isn't any better.


Immature male King salmon "Jacks" commonly swim upstream with the run of fall Kings during the spawn.....don't know what the percentages are, but with the average size of adults down now I wouldn't be surprised by a small "jack" either.


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Kings can run at 1-5 years of age. Studies have shown most are now spawning at 2-3. People who post that they caught 4 year olds are being ignorant and I ask them to prove how they know.

That said, we've caught two jack kings (probably one year old fish) in the Holland channel this year and many others in the years past. They're almost always males, usually 3-4# / 18", and usually very dark fish.


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

> Studies have shown most are now spawning at 2-3. People who post that they caught 4 year olds are being ignorant and I ask them to prove how they know.


Well said, right on the money. After repeated postings of 15-16lb "4 year olds", it's nice to see a post with some truth. Just like on Lake Huron, stresses from low bait levels have naturally forced salmon to spawn earlier. I believe fish in the 20-25lb range _may_ be 4 year olds, but those are rare now.


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## RAD FISH (Oct 17, 2006)

DoubleJay said:


> Immature male King salmon "Jacks" commonly swim upstream with the run of fall Kings during the spawn.....don't know what the percentages are, but with the average size of adults down now I wouldn't be surprised by a small "jack" either.


 
::Sure we all know that, bit what in the hell does that have to do with the Coho in the origanal post.. Your not saying it's an immature king are you?


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## vano397 (Sep 15, 2006)

I was out with a buddy saturday who caught a king that was about 17" long, it was fat and bright silver, turned out to be a male. I wil try to get the pic from him since neither of mine turned out.


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## Fishslayer5789 (Mar 1, 2007)

Drakegunner said:


> In Alaska (Kodiak Island) they average 15-20 lbs and will take top water flies in the rivers.


When I went to Alaska, I fished at Homer and within 2 hours around it and we caught dozens of coho. Every one of them was 8-12 lbs.


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## Fishslayer5789 (Mar 1, 2007)

DoubleJay said:


> I think that is a small "jack" king salmon, from the looks of the spots and what little I can see of his mouth. Too bad you didn't take a better photo of the identifying features: tail, dorsal, markings, mouth, etc. Just about impossible to say for sure, but most likely an immature male King salmon.


Just looking at half of the fish is a dead givaway for anyone who catches kings and coho on an annual/regular basis. The photo is fine. Clearly it is a coho. There are many defining features between a king and a coho, and just holding the two species together shows many differences.
The first pic is a coho and the 2nd pic is a king. There is no mistaking what is what to the avid angler.


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