# Coho or steelhead???



## Kory (Oct 7, 2007)

Probably Carp...


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## J - Rod (Oct 27, 2004)

Flyfisher said:


> I'm with you on this one, Steve...I would also go as far as saying the middle fish are probably "Skams" (summer-run) which would explain the darkened up steelie on the bottom of that picture. Probably caught on a trib of the St Joe?


I pulled that middle pic from a Grand River thread, he said he got them around Portland.


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

> I'm gonna guess the only reason that nasty king is on the stringer is that it still had something of value in its belly.
> 
> That's OK...as you know, Hutch Inc. is a proud supporter of the "No Egg Left Behind" program.


What, you don't like "walleye" meat on your salmon?:lol:, that king still had skein, but it was loosening up good. I have a good pic of a male and a female coho, but feel there's already too many pics from my ass in this thread!


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## Vicious Fishous (Sep 12, 2006)

To agree with J-rod, I'm pretty sure that Cohos only have spots on the top of the tail, and steel and kings have spots on the whole thing. We caught all three on a trip up north this fall and my buddies were putting steel on the stringer thinking they were coho. When I went to put one of my coho on their stringer and put a chrome salmon next to a chrome trout, it was hard to tell a t a glance but when we compared the fish together, the spots on the tail was the easiest way for me to tell. 
I should be Fishing,
PETE


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## REG (Oct 25, 2002)

I have to agree with Quest. The bottom fish on the middle pic is a coho.
It is hard to make out spots (or not) on the tail, but:
1) It looks like a bit of dark grey on the inside edge of the mouth.
2) The date and what appears to be rose mottled coloration
3) Fungal patch on the belly seems to be more common with fish on their spawning run.
4) The bit longer anal fin. I believe that cohos have a few more rays in the anal fin.
5) What's that white on the anal fin and tail?


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## mdj (Oct 1, 2005)

Bottom fish, middle pic, definitely a ho!


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

The bottom fish in the middle looks like a smaller male steelhead with light spotting. You can see spots all over the whole tail if you look closely. This should help the debate, a male and female coho from last week:


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## Flyfisher (Oct 1, 2002)

ausable_steelhead said:


> The bottom fish in the middle looks like a smaller male steelhead with light spotting. You can see spots all over the whole tail if you look closely.


I agree, both fish in the middle pic are steelhead!

Spots on entire tail=steelhead or king
Spots on top of tail=coho

Case closed...


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## fishman210 (Jan 10, 2008)

both fish in the middle pic are steelhead. this year i couldnt buy a coho that big. all cohos that we caught up by portland this year were all around 15 to 20" nothing over and even a few that were too small to even keep. they both put on a spectacular leeping show and there were no salmon in the area when i caught them. the male could of been a summer run but i doubt it. and the female was not. she had gold inside her . those were just 2 of the 4 we landed that day.


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## gomer (Dec 30, 2000)

> the male could of been a summer run but i doubt it. and the female was not. she had gold inside her


Summer runs should still have "gold" in them. They usually dont start spawning till Jan/Feb at the earliest.


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## Flyfisher (Oct 1, 2002)

gomer said:


> Summer runs should still have "gold" in them. They usually dont start spawning till Jan/Feb at the earliest.


I first suggested they were summer-run fish based on how "colored up" they were for October and the long slender body. And Gomer is right, although the summer fish start ascending the rivers in June, they usually hold off spawning until winter.


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## Steelheadfred (May 4, 2004)

I agree both are steelhead. As gomer and Rick point out, spots all over the tail.


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## thousandcasts (Jan 22, 2002)

Damn, you Clydes are still debating this? This debate should've ended two pages ago when 'ol Hutch here decreed that they were both steelhead. :lol:


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## steelieagw81 (Jun 19, 2008)

steelhead and fresh coho dont hqve much a different taste but a good indicator is the tail square tail=steelie fan tail=salmon


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